That ICPA (Aust) requests the Minister for Social Services to review and update the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme policy to create an additional “Significantly Geographically Isolated” category under the AIC eligibility criteria, recognising the inequity experienced by families living in significantly geographically isolated areas.
The Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme was established in 1973 with the core intent of supporting the education of isolated children who did not have reasonable access to education. Over time, the eligibility criteria have broadened to ensure more families experiencing educational disadvantage are able to access support.
Under the current AIC isolation criteria, eligibility applies where:
• the family home is 56km or more from the nearest appropriate state school; and
• the student lives at least 4.5km from the nearest transport to school; or
• there is no transport available to access school; or
• circumstances beyond the family’s control prevent the child from attending the nearest appropriate state school for at least 20 days per school year.
While this assistance provides valuable support to rural and remote families, it does not adequately recognise the additional inequities faced by families living in significantly geographically isolated areas. A “one size fits all” approach to support does not recognise the compounding disadvantage created by extreme geographical isolation. Equity is not achieved by providing identical support to all students regardless of circumstance; true equity requires support that reflects the actual level of disadvantage and cost burden experienced by families.
Families in these locations experience substantially greater distances, limited or non-existent transport options, reduced access to essential services, increased travel requirements and significantly higher costs associated with educating their children.
A separate “Significantly Geographically Isolated” category within the AIC Scheme would acknowledge these inequities and provide fairer recognition of the challenges faced by
families in the most remote parts of Australia.
Suggested eligibility criteria for a Significantly Geographically Isolated category could include:
• the family home being more than 80km from the nearest appropriate state school; and
• the student living at least 20km from the nearest appropriate school transport to school; or
• there being no transport available to access school.
This additional category would better reflect the realities faced by significantly geographically isolated families and support equitable access to education for all Australian children, regardless of where they live.
Without a more equitable tiered approach to assistance, families in the most isolated parts of Australia continue to shoulder disproportionately high costs simply to access the same basic educational opportunities available to less isolated students. This undermines the intent of the Assistance for Isolated Children scheme, which was originally established to ensure that
geographic isolation would not prevent Australian children from accessing a fair and
reasonable education.
