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The education landscape is constantly evolving, and we need to ensure that nobody is left behind as new techniques and technologies are introduced in educational spaces across Australia. Remote, rural, and regional students face unique challenges that can hinder how they engage with learning both inside and outside the classroom. This article will identify and discuss specific issues that affect education and suggest potential solutions to ensure that all learners, no matter where they are or how they learn, have equitable access to the Australian curriculum. Educators come in many different forms, and pivoting into the industry can be as simple as enrolling in a course to upskill or kickstart a new career - an online MBA in Australia could be the perfect option to help make some of these suggestions a reality.
Understanding Challenges
Regional communities often lack access to the same educational infrastructure as urban and suburban schools. A 2019 paper on the role of infrastructure in regional Victoria found that “inadequate communications infrastructure and limited transport options” were major contributing factors to people living in rural regions trying to access education and training. The inquiry also found that regional Victorians tended to have “inferior” internet connectivity, speeds, and reliability; a further limitation to the accessibility of remote learning channels, especially for specialist subjects that may not be available outside of urban areas.
Leveraging Technology
Access to the internet is crucial in any modern learning environment, and this country’s woeful rollout of the NBN system certainly didn’t help regional areas in this disadvantage. In the British town of Bury in 2013, the local government and a telecommunications company joined forces to implement 50 Wifi hubs around the area which provided unlimited internet access at all times for all residents. The system was implemented because two in five students did not have broadband internet at home, and its creation allowed all learners to access online resources outside of school. The internet isn’t just about classroom learning, though - the 2019 paper mentions services like Ask Izzy and Gather My Crew as valuable apps that can help regional Australians access services and learn more about how they can find help if and when they need it. From an educator’s point of view, implementing low-cost laptops, like Chromebooks, for students to take home, and equipping families with satellite internet hubs if they don’t otherwise have connections could be a useful first step. However, these are large, expensive solutions, so even something as simple as sharing resources like Ask Izzy could be the first step to making meaningful change after students leave the classroom.
Engaging with Community
It can be difficult to suggest a catch-all solution for some of these issues as they are so varied and difficult to tackle depending on where in Australia the regional centre is. Finding and engaging with community leaders and people who are deeply connected with the place is incredibly important for establishing long-term solutions that will be sustainable and specific to the environment in which they are implemented. This includes being culturally sensitive and recognising blind spots regarding the diversity of experience in a given community. Once these are recognised, it’s important to consider advice from a diverse set of people who represent the community.
Engaging parents, caregivers, and community stakeholders is essential in fostering a collaborative approach to long-term education outcomes. This can extend to partnerships with local businesses, government agencies, and community organisations which can help educators leverage resources and support networks to maximise the educational outcomes for students in remote and regional areas. Bury’s internet rollout was the result of the collaboration between the local government and a telecoms company, and its success begs replication in Australia.
Student Well-being
The mental and physical well-being of students should be at the forefront of all educational support. Lack of resourcing to regional areas can have a severe impact on the mental health of its residents, particularly as climate change leads to more flooding and more drought, and the impact of these disasters is disproportionately experienced by disadvantaged populations including those in regional areas. Establishing comprehensive support services within the education space is important to ensure that regional students have trained professionals to discuss these issues. Counselling, outreach programs, and pastoral and after-school care are important programs that help students navigate both academic and personal challenges and can help build a supportive educational environment where students can focus on learning.
Supporting remote, rural, and regional students in Australia requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses the myriad barriers to education experienced by learners in these areas. Emphasis on long-term solutions that take the entire community into account can decrease the gap between urban and non-urban educational outcomes and allow all young people, regardless of geographic location, to have equal opportunities to pursue educational aspirations and contribute meaningfully to society.
