That ICPA (Aust) advocates to the relevant ministers and departments, requesting the new Commonwealth Regional Scholarship Program include the following criteria:
1. income limits are substantially higher for the families who reside in remote communities such as Walgett, NSW, who are identified as severely educationally disadvantaged by the “Educate Australia Fair”, Bankwest Curtin Economic Centre Study,
2. the income limits are tapered to recognise the number of children in a family, and
3. not reliant on students receiving any other Commonwealth funding.
The Australian Government has announced 100 scholarships for low and low to middle income families from regional, rural, and remote areas to assist with boarding school fees and associated costs. The Walgett Branch would like to thank the government for this wonderful opportunity these new scholarships will provide for students.
As this is a Pilot Program with the eligibility criteria yet to be released, it is timely that we urge the Department of Education to a) ensure that the income limits are realistic considering the significant cost of boarding students away from home and that b) priority is given to communities with the mostseverely disadvantaged children as evidenced by Studies such as the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Study.
The “Educate Australia Fair” Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre Study lists Rural and remote Australian towns that suffer the greatest disadvantage, with Walgett being the second most disadvantaged on NSW’s list. Evidence of disadvantages such as this should be used to guide the eligibility criteria for such scholarships.
These scholarships must reflect the real impact on income for families boarding children away from home for their education, particularly when several children are away simultaneously. What may appear to be a medium income quickly diminishes when boarding costs are factored in. This is not a cost for families living in larger centres who can access free education. Therefore, income limits should be higher than what is considered low to medium income in a larger centre. The income limit must also be tapered to consider the number of children in a family.
The eligibility criteria must ensure the inclusion of families residing in small towns who do not meet the requirements for other available Commonwealth funding. This encompasses vital and indispensable services like nurses, teachers, plumbers, electricians, and police families - whose roles are essential in any town's survival.
Again, we are incredibly grateful for the announcement of these scholarships and hope that the government will work with the ICPA to develop fair and realistic eligibility criteria that will assist those in the most disadvantaged areas of remote Australia.
