For the first time since May last year, the ICPA (Aust) Federal Council are coming together in Canberra this week to discuss issues and concerns in education across rural and remote Australia and meet with relevant stakeholders.
Many of our Councillors are part of the less than 1500 families living in geographically isolated parts of Australia who have the mammoth undertaking of providing someone to support to their children as they complete their schooling through distance education. ICPA (Aust) believes the efforts of these families should be recognised and remunerated by Governments through a Distance Education Teaching Allowance.
Ali Allison, Federal Councillor, herself a teacher and a home tutor to her sons, has found living on an isolated property, running a business, working in the paddocks, having a teaching role in town and supporting her son in distance education a huge juggle “I wear many hats, all of which are very important to me, but as everyone who did remote schooling during COVID would know, it is impossible to wear all these hats and perform all these roles at the same time. Someone or something misses out. People in the city had to do this juggle for a short while during lockdowns. Mums like me, who live on remote properties, are doing this for a decade or more, with no recognition or remuneration”
Julia Broad joined Federal Council last year, with one daughter still in the schoolroom at home studying her final years of primary school. “My daughter is an independent learner now that she’s in year 6 but catching up of some things will still have to happen on my return. My husband, who manages a beef production business, finds it difficult to ‘pick up’ the complex role of home tutoring in my absence and must juggle both roles at once.”
Laura Stalley, from western New South Wales, currently employs a governess to teach her three children. “I did three years in the school room with my eldest child and my family felt that it was best to employ someone to purely focus on the children’s education for many reasons including maintaining harmonious family relationships and our mental health.”
For ICPA (Aust) Federal President Alana Moller, her family plays an extensive role in educating their children while also managing their businesses. “We have no other choice; however, this is largely unrecognised. It is important that those of us who live and breathe it, stand up for ourselves and others who face the immense and sometimes overwhelming task of ensuring our children receive an equitable education. We believe families, who must educate their children by distance education, shouldn’t have to do so without some financial assistance.”
Like Alana, Julia, Ali and Laura, many of the 15 Federal Councillors have lived experience of the issues they are advocating for on behalf of members, the Distance Education Teaching Allowance is just one of these issues.
Read the ICPA (Aust) Pre-Election Media Releases here Media Releases | ICPA
Further information and comments please contact:
Alana Moller, Federal President
Suzanne Wilson, Federal Publicity Officer
