Recent reports have highlighted that Australia’s schools continue to face a growing storm of challenges, from overcrowded classrooms to chronic teacher shortages and funding shortfalls. But for regional, rural, and remote (RRR) schools, these pressures are even more pronounced.
While RRR schools receive higher per-student funding – up to $20,000 in remote areas compared to $13,000-$15,000 in metropolitan schools – inefficiencies and crumbling infrastructure limit its impact. Teacher shortages are particularly dire, with recruitment and retention rates lagging behind city schools, and student-to-teacher ratios averaging 13.4.
The consequences are stark: lower attendance rates, higher dropout rates, and persistent achievement gaps that disadvantage students in these communities.
Recognising the urgent need to address these inequities in rural and remote Australia, the Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) recently provided Australian Schools Plus (Schools Plus) a $4.7m grant over five years to shift the dial for kids who are often left behind in rural, remote and very remote Australia.
This initiative will support 7,000 students across remote communities with targeted programs and resources, fostering academic achievement and overall wellbeing. Schools Plus, a national education non-profit, will leverage its expertise to support remote schools to deliver tailored interventions that build on communities' strengths to address the unique challenges the schools face.
By collaborating with local communities, the partnership will build shared expertise, data and evidence to support sustainable and impactful change.
“This investment is not just about closing the gap in academic achievement,” Sherrill Nixon, CEO of Schools Plus, said. “It's about providing opportunities for children to thrive and reach their potential, ultimately contributing to a stronger and more equitable Australia.”
John Bush, Head, Young People at Paul Ramsay Foundation highlighted the importance of bridging the expertise of schools and their communities into an evidence base that will help drive further impact and investment in improving outcomes for students learning in rural, remote and regional Australia.
“We will work with Schools Plus to share this evidence at a systems level with the aim of driving change nationally for any child in a remote community.”
Laynhapuy Homelands School in the Northern Territory is an example of this work in action.
With classrooms scattered across nine remote outstation communities in East Arnhem Land, LHS has partnered with Yolngu Elders and education experts from their community to develop an Indigenous language and culture program.
The initiative aims to lift children’s wellbeing through strengthening their cultural identity and to enhance literacy skills by teaching in students’ first language.
“Remote kids deserve the same opportunities as their peers. This vital partnership enables us to explore and address the complex challenges facing remote schools,” Lee Casuscelli, Director of Education at Schools Plus said.
“Backed by our strategic relationships across the sector, we will launch multi-year initiatives that meet the unique needs of these communities, ensuring more children in remote Australia have access to the education and resources they deserve.”