Education in remote and complex environments: House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training

On Wednesday, 11 November 2020, the Committee presented its report on Education in remote and complex environments.

This inquiry examined how education meets the learning needs of students in regional, rural and remote communities and how barriers in education can be overcome. The committee found that Australians growing up in regional and remote areas have lower educational attainment rates in school, in Year 12 and in tertiary education, compared to those living in metropolitan areas, and that a range of factors contribute to gaps in access and equity across a child’s education journey.

View report as a single document - (PDF 1,404KB) 

What's in it for children and young people with disability?

Recommendations:

To reduce barriers to education, the committee recommends the Government develop policies and programs that:

• improve access and affordability in regional, rural and remote communities to:
• medical, ancillary and mental health services
• services and support for people with disability, including addressing thin markets in the National Disability Insurance Scheme

The committee recommends that the government reaffirm its commitment to inclusive education in the new National Disability Strategy in 2021, and include a focus on ensuring inclusive education for children and young people with disability in regional, rural and remote locations. In the development of the new Strategy, the government should consider whether a national inclusive education act is required to protect the right to inclusive education for students with disability.