That ICPA (Aust) advocate to all levels of government for increased and sustainable funding to ensure the viability and accessibility of boarding facilities for students from rural and remote areas.
For families living in remote and very remote parts of Australia, boarding is often the only pathway for their children to access a full secondary education. This necessity places a significant emotional, logistical, and financial burden on families, who are often separated for long periods and face high out-of-pocket costs, even with some government assistance.
The recent closure of the St John’s Catholic College boarding facility in Darwin starkly illustrates the national under-funding crisis affecting boarding schools. This closure – and others like it – forces 3 families to make impossible decisions: to relocate entirely, to separate siblings, or to forgo consistent education altogether.
Families already juggling the challenges of geographic isolation are now facing even fewer viable education options for their children. In some cases, the lack of affordable and accessible boarding options results in students being withdrawn from school prematurely, further entrenching rural disadvantage.
While boarding schools receive some funding to operate, it is increasingly clear this support is insufficient. The current model is unsustainable and unfair. Governments continue to rely on boarding facilities as the default solution to regional education provision, yet fail to match that reliance with appropriate investment.
ICPA (Aust) calls on governments to:
• Acknowledge boarding facilities as essential education infrastructure for rural and remote students.
• Increase and secure long-term operational funding, particularly for facilities supporting First Nations and geographically isolated students.
• Reduce the financial burden on families by increasing boarding-related allowances and subsidies.
• Support culturally appropriate pastoral care and well-being programs for boarders, to ensure students thrive while living away from home.
If Australia is committed to improving outcomes and closing the gap for rural and remote students, it must begin with fully funding the services that make education possible – starting with boarding.
