That ICPA (Aust) advocate to the Federal Government, through the Ministers for Education and Health, to make targeted funding available for the provision of speech pathologists in rural and remote schools, particularly where students are enrolled through distance education.
There is a widespread shortage of speech pathologists servicing rural and remote areas across Australia, in both the education and health sectors. Early intervention and access to ongoing therapies are critical to ensuring students do not fall behind in their educational development. It is well established that remoteness amplifies the challenges faced by students with speech and language needs, particularly those studying via distance education. Targeted federal funding to improve access to speech pathology services in these areas would help close this gap and support better educational outcomes for rural and remote students nationwide.
