Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697630913352.pdf (Australia)
Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association Northern Territory State Council Incorporated ABN: 19 744 602 697 PO Box 8346 Alice Springs 0871 SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENTARY INQUIRY INTO EDUCATION IN REMOTE AND COMPLEX ENVIRONMENTS BACKGROUND The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) is a member-driven, Australia-wide voluntary organisation of parents and carers dedicated to improving access to education for isolated students.
ICPA advocates for education for rural and remote children from early childhood right through to tertiary level, including students who are educated by distance education, on Schools of The Air, in small rural schools, at remote community schools, at boarding school, in school term hostels and students completing tertiary level education including VET and university.
The Northern Territory Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association Inc. (ICPA NT) represents equity of access to education for all rural and remote children who live in the Northern Territory.

ICPA NT is the only Territory-wide community parent group representing remote and geographically isolated families, representing over 140 families throughout the Northern Territory.

Our member families reside on cattle stations, remote communities, small towns, islands and boats.
ICPA NT families include farmers, fishers, rangers, police officers, teachers, health workers and tourism operators.

Accessing education is a challenge for remote and geographically isolated families in the Northern Territory, and indeed across Australia.

KEY POINTS  Students who live outside of urban or metro areas deserve the same level of access to education-related services, communication and technology, support and development, opportunity and advancement as main stream students receive.
 Geographic isolation, or distance from urban centres, creates major barriers and significant challenges for students and families to thrive, regardless of socio-economic status.

 Education and associated learning, development, intervention and socialisation opportunities for geographically isolated students and their families comes at a financial and personal cost not fully appreciated or understood, therefore often not adequately financially supported by governments on any level.
Secretary: Rebecca Cadzow ntsecretary@icpa.com.au 0889569963 President: Sarah Cook ntpresident@icpa.com.au 0889569705 Kindly supported by the NT Dept.

of Education and the Alice Springs and Katherine Branch Equity in Education Outback Education in Remote and Complex EnvironmentsSubmission 45 A child’s journey through early childhood, primary, secondary, vocational and tertiary education in remote communities of the Northern Territory.
2 Geographically isolated (GI) children in the NT often live huge distances away from mainstream urban schools and for this reason, families on cattle stations, ranger stations, on boats, in contracting teams and those who travel for work often have little choice but to access Distance Education (DE), at least for the early primary and primary years.
Families living in small Territory towns or in remote communities have their own challenges, and although the circumstances and mode of delivery between distance education and a small or remote community school might be different, ICPA NT recognises there are similarities in the challenges, especially in relation to the lack of services and access to services required, the lack of opportunities in extra-curricular and social activities, and the cost and commitment required to access education in a remote and very remote setting.
This submission speaks mostly to distance education, however does include references to small and/or remote schools where indicated.

A typical journey through education for a remote child in the NT can look like this: Little or no access to early childhood services, primary school by distance education supervised by the mother or a paid ‘educator’, secondary education in a boarding school and moving away from home to access vocational or tertiary education.
Key barriers to the education journey, including the effects of environmental factors such as drought on families and communities in remote Northern Territory.

Due to the vast distances in the Northern Territory, geographic location is the main barrier to accessing education.

Early Childhood challenges for families who don’t live in a small town or remote community; • • • • • No early learning centres within a reasonable driving distance.
Access to and use of the In Home Care Scheme can be challenging (applying for and recruiting a carer, retaining a carer in the remote setting and accommodating the carer, rules inappropriate for remote families).

Lack of prioritised and clear pathways for early years intervention, diagnosis and management of special learning needs for GI children under 5 years of age.
Lack of Mobile Playgroups for GI children (aged five years and under), in regions where no playgroup or milestone development services exist.

Lack of guidance in the early years for families, especially for those children who haven’t started school yet.

CASE STUDIES “We have been on the waiting list of the In Home Care Scheme since 2018 and have been told that we are eligible but need to wait for X office to open up as our situation can’t be catered for with the Y In Home Care office.
We are a mobile family business which takes us to multiple remote cattle stations over the NT, Qld and WA and as we are not stationed at one point for a long period of time we would need to have a risk assessment done at each site, if we were to go with the Y office.” (Parent of children under 5 years of age, 2019) “We have experienced the disadvantage of educating our children (with special education requirements) via distance education over the last several years.
‘Child one’ was identified as having special learning needs in Transition and no help was offered by the school.

At one point, we were asked to pay up to $2000 for special Kindly supported by the NT Dept.

of Education and the Alice Springs and Katherine Branch Equity in Education Outback Education in Remote and Complex EnvironmentsSubmission 45 3 education testing.

In addition, we had to drive to town multiple times during that year so our child could attend these specialised appointments.
Several years later ‘Child two’ was held back because they were identified with special learning needs.

To increase our burden, we again had to bring the child to town for appointments - this is a 400km round trip.

We have had years of no assistance from our school to access diagnosis and intervention for our children with specific education needs”.
(GI Parent of several children, 2019) Primary years challenges for families who don’t live in a small town or remote community: • • • • Government requirements dictate students in the DE classroom must be supervised.

The costs of supervision are not subsidised by any level of government.

The costs of supervision are very significant.


Either a parent is the supervisor, meaning the family is foregoing an income or has to employ somebody to replace the supervisor in other roles, or the family has to employ a governess to supervise DE.

A governess is notoriously difficult to find.

Additional costs such as board and keep, internet and socialisation needs are some of the considerations associated with recruiting governesses.
Further challenges: • • • • • • Limited face-to-face contact with trained teachers.

Limited access to extra-curricular including sport, art, music and STEM/science.

Limitations of technology in the delivery of DE.

Limited access to support services and socialisation opportunities.

Lack of prioritised and clear pathways for intervention, diagnosis and management of special learning needs and the costs of accessing.

Financial and time costs of accessing activities and services in urban centres.
“The dynamic that is created when a parent takes on the Home Tutor role is a double-edged sword.

It can create an incredibly fragile dynamic, however it is also a privilege, unique to this type of education, but personally I know little about teaching.
Employing someone in the Home Tutor role is not possible for us, or possible for many families I know.” (Parent) Secondary years challenges for families who don’t live in a small town or remote community: • • • • GI students have limited secondary school options; boarding school is a common choice.

Boarding school is expensive and emotionally hard on students and families.
However it does provide plenty of opportunities that GI students don’t experience in primary DE or in a small remote school, including sport, drama and STEM.

Limited choice of boarding schools in the NT.

Families have many reasons for choosing a particular boarding school for their children which will relate to extended family support, origins of parents, curriculum, cost and what is the ‘right fit’ for the child.
Students who choose to undertake secondary school on DE have limited face-to-face contact with trained teachers, and the same limitations experienced in the primary years, albeit more poignant in some respects.

“Like many pastoral families, before our children were even born, we knew we would be enrolling firstly in School of The Air and ultimately boarding school.

We also knew that boarding school would not be cheap and we started planning and saving for this event before our boys could walk and talk.
It even dictated the size of our family.” (Parent) Kindly supported by the NT Dept.
of Education and the Alice Springs and Katherine Branch Equity in Education Outback Education in Remote and Complex EnvironmentsSubmission 45 4 “One of the difficulties isolated distance education children face when they reach their middle and senior schooling in the Northern Territory, is if the family can no longer sustain the level of teaching required, and the child's natural development requires contact with peers, and extra-curricular activities, they are required to complete their schooling at a boarding facility.
There are only limited boarding facilities within the NT, and each facility has an understandably strong focus on Indigenous culture due to the cohort of Indigenous boarders being a majority.

So where do non-Indigenous geographically isolated (GI) children fit in, and how do they find their culturally identifiable counterparts in order for them to thrive and be comfortable in their learning environment?
Many families board their children interstate at boarding schools that cater to the specific needs of 'bush kids' with similar backgrounds where they can feel safe and supported whilst being so far from home - but the financial cost to families to do this can be crippling, and with very little support in regard to travel and fees for families in the NT.
The disadvantage of geographic isolation in education is difficult to quantify, and is often overlooked or regarded as insignificant when it is compared to the many facets of poverty experienced across the NT, such as in Indigenous communities.” (Parent) “There is a gap in the provision of wellbeing lessons for remote students to prepare themselves mentally for boarding school.
In the lead up to boarding school some School of The Air parents and grandparents stress about this moment, some financially, but mostly about the emotional aspect of the separation from their child and their child suffering homesickness.

It is normal to feel homesick and lessons addressing these issues would be helpful for both parents and students alike before leaving primary school.
After the “Do it for Dolly” campaign, mental preparedness could help families cope better with the separation from each other and also how to read the signs if someone is not coping.” (Parent) Tertiary years challenges for families who don’t live in a small town or remote community • • • • • • Costs of accommodation and travel to attend courses or move away from home for courses.
Limited choices in the NT; CDU recently cut the number of VET courses offered, numerous university courses are not offered at CDU.

Costs of accommodation and travel for work placement for training and tertiary students.

Difficulty in accessing Registered Training Organisations to deliver courses and workplace training and assessment in remote areas.

Emotional difficulties associated with moving and living away from home, without the support of family and your community.
Poor understanding in urban-centric institutions and support agencies such as Centrelink of rural and remote students’ situations and dispensations, leading to undue stress and financial hardship.

Other key barriers to education opportunities for families who don’t live in a small town or remote community include: • • • • • Cost of travel, including road and air to access School of The Air contact weeks, school camps, boarding school and tertiary education.
Sub-standard roads and poor maintenance prevent year-round access between home and service centres, causing travel to be, at times, unsafe for students to travel to service centres, or for teachers to visit students.

Periodically, air services in the NT are unreliable, impacting on the timely delivery of education resources from the school to the student and vice versa.

The unreliable nature of communications and technology, and the time and cost to repair remote infrastructure.
The $/Mb cost of internet plans with no availability of unlimited plans.

Kindly supported by the NT Dept.


of Education and the Alice Springs and Katherine Branch Equity in Education Outback Education in Remote and Complex EnvironmentsSubmission 45 5 • • • • Boarding, small school and tertiary/training students cannot access the education port on their family’s Skymuster service for their education (only DE students) Skills for home tutors/governesses to supervise students with specific needs/disability or who require extension.
Access to allied health services such as speech therapy, mental health services, dental etc.

Depth of understanding in the policy environment is required to develop policy that better supports education in a remote and complex environment, especially in the context of a home school room facilitated by the family.

“We experienced our driest year on record in 2009, bushfires in 2011 that burnt half our property and then lost a much loved Mum/Grandma just before our children started boarding school.
Not once did any of our School of The Air teachers mention the possibility of counselling for our children.

Luckily for us the Principal of the School of The Air offered her personal support.

In contrast, at Boarding School our children were offered counselling and medical services from Year 7 onwards.
Clearly the secondary institutions are doing it better.” (Parent) Effects of environmental factors such as drought, fire, cyclones and flood on the education of rural and remote students • • • • • • Natural disasters have an immediate or cumulative effect on GI students’ education at all levels.

All of the challenges outlined above are magnified.

Physical access to education and service centres can be affected, resulting in missing school, training, university or other educational opportunities.
Financial imperatives can mean supervision in the DE school room becomes sporadic and inadequate, children may have to be removed from boarding schools, tertiary and training students may need to become independent or defer or discontinue their further education.

Students of all ages can be required to work at home.

Students can be exposed to emotionally devastating situations and are usually well aware of their parents’ stress levels and financial difficulties.
This can lead to feelings of inadequacy, guilt, helplessness, grief, fear and social isolation.

The role of culture and country in a child’s learning in remote Northern Territory and Community and family structures that support a child’s education and their attendance at school in remote Northern Territory • • • • • • The importance of culture and country in the education of Aboriginal students is widely acknowledged.
Culture and country are also very important to the education for non-Indigenous students.

‘Bush’ students have a very deep connection to ‘their’ country and home and their cultural ties to their community of country people.

An understanding of the country and culture of non-Indigenous rural and remote students is essential to engaging those students in their education and assisting them to reach their full potential.
Home visits from Schools of The Air teachers are invaluable for the students, families and home tutors as well as for the teachers.

Boarding staff have reported visiting students at their homes has given them a hugely beneficial insight into the lives of their charges and provided a deeper understanding of the connection a boarding student has to their home.

When accessing DE, School of The Air communities are instrumental to build resilience, networks and friendships for students and their families.
“Our experience with School of the Air is that it is a supportive community.

There are few issues with bullying amongst the children compared to mainstream school.” (Parent) Kindly supported by the NT Dept.
of Education and the Alice Springs and Katherine Branch Equity in Education Outback Education in Remote and Complex EnvironmentsSubmission 45 6 “There is a misconception that these isolated children merely fold into a 'mainstream' culture rather than identify a very distinctive cultural ideology and have particular requirements in order to facilitate appropriate and encouraging learning environments.
The role of 'Country' for isolated children (children studying from isolated cattle stations/outstations etc) is very real, and very different to that of children being educated in remote Indigenous community schools, where there are many other children and a structured Department of Education school setting/facility.
Distance Education children have a unique connection to the land through their lifestyle, where management and care of both their natural and shaped environment is an integral part of their day to day life.

Their learning is often dictated by the weather, and they are often working alongside family members from a young age.
The role of culture and country in a child's learning however, is integral to the student being able to learn in a supportive environment, and there is a definitive culture for isolated students that to the present feels like it is being ignored.
GI children need to be counted, identified as being part of a specific cultural identity, and their unique needs acknowledged, in order for families to gain support and recognition from State and Federal Governments.” (Parent) Effective government initiatives, past and present that support remote Northern Territory communities to enable greater educational outcomes, including those that have improved attainment in literacy and numeracy • • • The NT Student Assistance Scheme provides some useful subsidies to assist families with the cost of accessing their education.
ICPA NT is constantly advocating for improvements.

Commonwealth administered Assistance for Isolated Children provides useful subsidies however, since its inception, the gap between the assistance for boarding and the actual costs has widened considerably.

Commonwealth administered Youth Allowance for tertiary students is effective for those students who qualify.

ICPA continues to advocate for more dispensations for rural and remote students who are underrepresented in the tertiary sector.
Innovative approaches to workforce, including recruitment, professional learning, retention and support, and lessons from communities that could be more generally applied ICPA NT supports the following policy initiatives to improve educational outcomes: • • • • • • • • A Distance Education Teaching Allowance (DETA), in recognition of the role the home tutor plays in educating geographically isolated students via distance education.
Access to early intervention services for the diagnosis and management of specific learning needs.

Home tutor training in areas including dyslexia, to improve home school room supervision.

State (Territory) government subsidies which more closely reflect actual costs of educating GI children, including a Living Away From Home Allowance for all students who attend boarding school due to geographic isolation.

Mobile Playgroups for GI children, aged five years and under.
Reliable and affordable technology for education purposes, together with connectivity, the software and hardware required for delivery.

Clearer pathways and tangible support for gifted and talented students, including professional development for teachers and home tutors.

Attraction and retention of professionals to deliver services to remote areas is a long-running issue.
It follows with concerns around adequate teacher numbers, including relief teachers when teaching staff are accessing professional development and personal leave days.

Kindly supported by the NT Dept.

of Education and the Alice Springs and Katherine Branch Equity in Education Outback Education in Remote and Complex EnvironmentsSubmission 45 7 “Our school does not have dedicated support' staff to provide support to struggling students or those that require extension.
Personally, this contributed to our situation which saw us moving our family 2600kms away for a period of 18 months when trying to ascertain a diagnosis for our son's learning difficulties.

The toll was huge.” (Parent, School of The Air) “Funding for our School of the Air has changed to a per student basis and when the student numbers are low, this leads to more composite classes and less teachers.
Having quality teachers with a variety of skills is critical for the learning and wellbeing of remote area students.” (Parent, School of The Air) “The ability to access affordable and appropriate educational services is a major factor in determining if a family will remain in rural and remote locations.
Professionals with children moving to rural and remote areas need confidence their children will have access to quality educational opportunities.” (Parent) Access and support to deliver the Australian Curriculum (including STEM) in a flexible way to meet local learning needs and interests of remote students, including examples of innovative ways in which the curriculum is being delivered in remote schools • • Reliable and affordable technology presents endless opportunities for children living in a remote learning environment to access STEM in a flexible way.
Work units structured towards using the students’ unique environments allow for flexibility and relevant learning.

ICPA NT strongly supports the inclusion of food and fibre in our curriculum, providing an opportunity for children to engage in their environment and their community.

Successful pathways to ensure students have the knowledge and skills they need to enter further education and the workforce.
With strong, targeted support for families who play the lead role in their child’s journey through the early, primary, secondary and tertiary years, children will naturally thrive.

The challenge for policy makers is to develop a depth of understanding in what families consider strong, targeted support.

The Northern Territory Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association Inc. welcomes the opportunity to represent our members at Northern Territory hearings for this inquiry.

Kindly supported by the NT Dept.


of Education and the Alice Springs and Katherine Branch Equity in Education Outback Education in Remote and Complex EnvironmentsSubmission 45