Review aims to boost rural education

An independent review into regional, rural and remote education has been released by the Turnball Government, aimed at guiding efforts to overcome the educational divide between capital cities and regional areas.

Commissioned last year, the report was undertaken by Flinders University’s Professor John Halsey, who acknowledged regional students had “lagged behind urban students for decades” and presented 11 recommendations in reversing this.

The recommendations included increasing the availability of information communication and technology resources, the accessibility of high-quality work experience and the provision of ongoing professional support for educational leaders.

Forrest MHR Nola Marino said the final report would help ensure South West students were getting the support they needed to succeed. “The Liberal-led Government remains committed to doing everything we can to make sure regional and rural students not only achieve success at school but have the opportunity to go on to further study, training and employment,” she said.