Education in rural Australia

Mentoring a Rural Renaissance
A national mentoring program will bridge urban and rural Australia. Rural young people will be linked to rural and/or urban mentors to learn life skills. Rural tertiary students and trainees will have mentors to guide career pathways. Rural professionals and business-people will have mentors to share information and ideas, and for professional development (including for rural teachers).

The strategy also includes a school buddy system connecting rural and urban schools, and rural student exchanges. The initiative reconnects rural and urban Australia, promotes rural communities, and empowers rural young people to develop relationships with urban peers.

Funded rural work experience programs
Rural student placements are expensive and therefore inaccessible for many students. This strategy involves funded work experience and placements for urban and rural secondary and tertiary students to have on-the-job training in rural communities. This aims to address the rural skills shortage through promoting rural career opportunities.

Waive HECS-HELP debts for rural practitioners
The strategy provides incentives for rural and urban young people to participate in tertiary education, and to bring their skills to remote, rural or regional communities. This strategy will recruit and retain a rural population and a sustainable workforce. It also ensures that rural Australians can equitably access education, health, social care and other services.

Indigenous education
Many Indigenous education ideas were developed in the Indigenous stream at the 2020 summit. Since many Indigenous children live in rural areas, their issues are similarly rural education issues and not necessarily isolated to just Indigenous students. The 2020 ideas include: an education framework giving real choice for Indigenous children to access high quality education; encouraging high-performing young professionals to work as teachers alongside Indigenous educators; and other ideas.

Other issues for consideration
Some important rural education issues were not able to be discussed at the 2020 Summit, including: increased funding for regional universities; expanding Assistance for Isolated Children eligibility to facilitate choice in education for remote children; educating rural students with a disability; educating migrant and refugee peoples in rural communities; and access and excellence in education for rural women.

Improving rural access to quality education will improve rural socio-economic status, health and wellbeing, industries and economy, self-esteem and the capacity of rural communities to thrive. Education is integral to remote, rural and regional human rights concerns and central to rural revitalisation, sustainability and productivity. Education is the key to Rural Australia and so Australia’s future. We must work together to ensure education is accessible, equitable, and of excellent quality for all rural Australians. Our nation depends on it.