Rural and Remote Education - SA

Rural and Remote

Education - SA

Submissions

South Australian

Government

This submission was

coordinated by the SA Department of Education Training and Employment.

It summarises three recent initiatives designed to improve education,

care and training services in South Australia: the Country Services Directorate;

Partnerships 21; and participation in a MCEETYA Taskforce. The submission

then addresses each of the Inquiry's terms of reference separately. Reference

is made throughout to the results of the Country Call consultations in

which country South Australians were asked how they want to see their

conditions improved.

The submission concludes

with seven recommendations:

1. That a three year

   funded program be established to provide all rural and remote students

   with access to laptop computer technology to support distance education,

   face to face teaching and the development of IT skills and knowledge

   comparable to students living in large metropolitan/ regional centres.

2. That a program

   be developed in collaboration with the states and territories and the

   Commonwealth Government to plan and implement strategies in Vocational

   Education and Training which improve access and participation for students

   in rural and remote communities to facilities, courses and work placement

   required to enable them to gain recognised industry qualifications.

3. That the funding

   for the current Country Areas Program (CAP) be substantially increased

   to enable enhanced access by rural students to services and cultural

   and sporting events in larger regional centres and cities.

4. That a framework

   be developed for education and welfare agencies to facilitate them working

   collaboratively to improve the coordination of services which are targeted

   at students with disabilities in country areas.

5. That funding and

   services to improve education outcomes for Aboriginal students continue

   to be a priority and that a new initiative focussing on Aboriginal parents

   as first teachers be developed to enhance literacy and numeracy achievements

   for Aboriginal children to national standards by the completion of Year

   3.

6. That a nationally

   based information and promotions strategy aimed at raising the profile

   of country education and care, and which stimulates renewed interest

   in and support for them by city and regionally based people be developed.

7. That a nationally

   based Country Issues and Strategies Research Centre be established,

   focussing on education, care and related services.

PDF (80K),

Word

(94K)

South Australian

Independent Schools Board

This submission covers

the following major topics:

1. Independent schools

   in rural areas of SA

2. Country Areas

   Program

3. Boarding
4. Indigenous students
5. Students with

   disabilities

6. Information technology
7. Transport assistance

Recommendations include

that

• Commonwealth and

  State governments allocate additional resources to non-government schools

  that will ensure equitable and reliable access in rural, remote and

  metropolitan regions to information technology that can be used for

  educational and management purposes

• consideration

  be given by the Commonwealth to allocating specific funds for rural

  and remote students/schools in other Targeted Programs, eg Languages

  and Literacy

PDF (53K),

Word

(55K)

Last

updated 2 December 2001.