The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training has today tabled the report of its inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 11 November 2020

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training has today tabled the report of its inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments. Committee Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, said the ‘inquiry examined how education meets the learning needs of students in regional, rural and remote communities, and how barriers to education can be overcome.’ ‘The committee was mindful that significant work is being undertaken to address the issues outlined in this report. While noting the government accepted the findings of both the Halsey (2018) and Napthine (2019) education reviews, the committee has recommended that implementation plans be provided to show how the government is progressing the recommendations and actions proposed by these reviews.’ Mr Laming said. The committee made 14 recommendations in total, including measures to: Ensure all Australian students can access secondary school education, to a nationally-consistent minimum standard, regardless of their geographic location Provide greater opportunities for families and communities to have more say in how schools apply the Australian Curriculum Ensure that the education available to children and young people with disability in regional, rural and remote locations is inclusive Improve access to mental health treatment and support in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities Improve access to quality early childhood education and care in regional, rural and remote communities Provide up to 30 hours per week of subsidised early education and care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children Support early learning programs provided through distance education, and provide greater flexibility and surety in funding for mobile early childhood education services, and wrap-around models of early intervention, family support, early childhood education and health care in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities Provide adult literacy campaigns in communities with low levels of adult English literacy Improve access to English as an Additional Language or Dialect support and bilingual education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students Support the development and professionalisation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education workforce Establish trauma-informed, cultural induction and training programs for educators working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and Enhance the integration of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training and Higher Education sectors. The report can be accessed through the inquiry website. Media enquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4573 ee.reps@aph.gov.au

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training will hold two roundtable public hearings via teleconference on Wednesday, 2 September 2020 as part of the committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments.

Media release issue date: Monday, 31 August 2020

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training will hold two roundtable public hearings via teleconference on Wednesday, 2 September 2020 as part of the committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments. Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, said ‘the committee has received compelling evidence showing that students in regional, rural and remote communities experience a range of barriers to accessing quality and affordable early childhood education, schooling and further education.’ ‘To further examine these issues, the committee is holding a series of roundtable public hearings, focussing this week on early childhood education, and barriers that students from regional, rural and remote communities experience across their education journey’, Mr Laming said. Last Wednesday, 26 August 2020, the committee held two roundtable hearings focussing on schools and the university and VET sectors. The topic of the first public hearing is early childhood education and will include representatives of Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care, Community Connections Solutions Australia, Goodstart Early Learning and Early Childhood Australia. The topic of the second public hearing is barriers to education and will include representatives of Speech Pathology Australia, Children and Young People with Disability Australia, World Vision Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission. Public hearing details Date: Wednesday, 2 September 2020 Topic: Early childhood education Location: By teleconference Time: 11.30am–12.30pm Date: Wednesday, 2 September 2020 Topic: Barriers to education Location: By teleconference Time: 12.30pm–1.30pm The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4573 ee.reps@aph.gov.au

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training will hold two roundtable public hearings via teleconference on Wednesday, 26 August 2020 as part of the committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments.

Media release issue date: Tuesday, 25 August 2020

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training will hold two roundtable public hearings via teleconference on Wednesday, 26 August 2020 as part of the committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments. Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, said ‘the committee has received strong and varied evidence in written submissions showing that students in regional, rural and remote communities experience a range of barriers to accessing quality, affordable schooling and further education.’ ‘To further examine these issues, the committee will hold a series of roundtable public hearings, initially focusing on schools and the university and VET sectors’, Mr Laming said. The topic of the first public hearing is school education and will include representatives of independent and Catholic schools, the Australian Secondary Principals' Association, the Australian Education Union and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The topic of the second public hearing is further education and will include representatives of La Trobe and Charles Sturt Universities, the Australian Technology Network of Universities, Online Education Services and South West TAFE. Public hearing details Date: Wednesday, 26 August 2020 Topic: School education Location: By teleconference Time: 11.35 am – 12.30 pm Date: Wednesday, 26 August 2020 Topic: Further education Location: By teleconference Time: 12.35 pm – 1.30 pm The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. Media inquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4573 ee.reps@aph.gov.au

As part of its inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments, the House Education Committee wants to know more about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on home learning and teaching.

Media release issue date: Thursday, 14 May 2020

As part of its inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments, the House Education Committee wants to know more about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on home learning and teaching. The inquiry was initially launched in December, and has received submissions from a wide range of stakeholders and experts. The Committee has outlined areas of interest, but in recent months suspended its program of hearings because of the pandemic. ‘As Australian students and teachers move to the next phase, we are again inviting views – we are sure that lessons being learned help improve our understanding of a student’s education journey in remote and complex environments’, said Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair of the Committee. ‘The Committee has been examining how education meets the learning needs of students and how barriers in the education journey are overcome. The response of Australian schools to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need for rapid adaptation to home and online learning, has clearly accelerated the importance of flexible and well-supported responses,’ Mr Laming said. ‘We want to expand our range of evidence into specific lessons and consequences of rapid and flexible home and online learning and teaching. The Committee hopes to learn more about how these new flexible approaches might continue to be applied in remote and complex environment long after schools return to ‘normal’ face-to-face teaching,’ Mr Laming said. ‘We also hope that some of the excellent stakeholders we’ve heard from so far might give us the benefit of their recent, COVID-19 experience so that we can take this inquiry forward.’ Beyond hearing more about adaptations and solutions to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee’s areas of interest include small remote schools; particularly in challenging areas like the tri-state area of central Australia;   career counselling of remote students and means of connecting them to further education or local employment; challenges faced by regional schooling providers and initiatives in place; how families of vulnerable young children can access, enrol and remain in early learning, and the collaboration between early and primary education; the performance and monitoring of those in home schooling to maintain national minimum standards; and access and support to deliver the Australian Curriculum (including STEM) in a flexible way, to meet local learning needs and interests of remote students, including examples of innovative ways in which the curriculum is being delivered in remote schools. Media inquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat ee.reps@aph.gov.au For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings. You can also track the Committee and receive email updates by clicking on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner of the page.

Representatives of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA) will appear before the House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training on Wednesday, 26 February 2020 at a public hearing for the Committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments.

Media release issue date: Monday, 24 February 2020

Representatives of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA) will appear before the House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training on Wednesday, 26 February 2020 at a public hearing for the Committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments. Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, said ‘AHISA have identified a range of factors that have a negative impact on a schools’ educational provision, and on the educational experience and aspirations of students, which vary according to remoteness. These factors also vary between students attending schools in their home community and those being educated away from home.’ Mr Laming said ‘Regardless of where they live, young Australians should be supported to meet their potential with high quality education and meaningful pathways to further education and employment. The Committee is examining how education meets the learning needs of students and how barriers in education can be overcome.’ One in every five Australian Year 12 student gains part of their education at an AHISA member’s school. Almost a third of AHISA’s members lead schools with boarding provision. ‘The Committee is particularly interested in hearing from AHISA about strategies that help students living away from home overcome personal and educational challenges, and suggestions for how governments can improve education provision for students from rural and remote locations being educated away from home’, Mr Laming said. Public hearing details Date: Wednesday, 26 February 2020 Time: 11.30am to 12.45pm Location: Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. The closing date for submissions has been extended to Friday, 28 February 2020. Submissions can be made online or by emailing ee.reps@aph.gov.au. Media inquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4573 ee.reps@aph.gov.au

Rural Youth Ambassador alumni and representatives of the Country Education Partnership will appear before the House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training on Wednesday, 12 February 2020 at a public hearing for the Committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments.

Media release issue date: Monday, 10 February 2020

Rural Youth Ambassador alumni and representatives of the Country Education Partnership will appear before the House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training on Wednesday, 12 February 2020 at a public hearing for the Committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments. Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, said ‘the Committee is concerned that students in regional, rural and remote areas risk falling behind their peers in metropolitan areas due to inequitable access to education and other opportunities.’ ‘Raising awareness of options for further education and training, and career opportunities can help build student aspiration. The committee looks forward to hearing from the Country Education Partnership and Rural Youth Ambassador Alumni about a range of initiatives that foster youth aspiration’, Mr Laming said. Mr Laming said, ‘The Committee is particularly interested in hearing how education meets the learning needs of students and how barriers in education can be overcome.’ Public hearing details Date: Wednesday, 12 February 2020 Time: 11.30am to 12.45pm Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. The closing date for submissions has been extended to Friday, 28 February 2020. Submissions can be made online or by emailing ee.reps@aph.gov.au. Media inquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4573 ee.reps@aph.gov.au

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training will scrutinise the Department of Education, Skills and Employment on actions being undertaken to address the education attainment gap between students living in regional, rural and remote areas and their peers in metropolitan areas.

Media release issue date: Monday, 3 February 2020

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training will scrutinise the Department of Education, Skills and Employment on actions being undertaken to address the education attainment gap between students living in regional, rural and remote areas and their peers in metropolitan areas. The Department’s appearance before the Committee on Wednesday, 5 January 2020 will be the first public hearing of the Committee’s inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments. Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, said ‘the Committee is concerned that regional, rural and remote students’ achievement in education has been lower than that of metropolitan students for many years. It is confronting that young people living in the bush are have lower educational attainment rates in school, in Year 12 and in tertiary education than those in cities.’ ‘Regardless of where they live, young Australians should be supported to meet their potential with high quality education and meaningful pathways to further education and employment. The Committee is examining how education meets the learning needs of students and how barriers in education can be overcome.’ Mr Laming said. Last year the Morrison Government released the National Regional, Rural and Remote Education Strategy, which focuses on improving tertiary education participation and outcomes for students from non-metropolitan areas. The Strategy forms part of a broader Regional Education package and builds on the Government's response to the Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education (the Halsey Review). Mr Laming said, ‘at the hearing, the Committee will examine how the Government is implementing the Strategy and the recommendations of the Halsey Review, as part of its broader investment in regional, rural and remote education.’ Public hearing details Date: Wednesday, 5 February 2020 Time: 11.30am to 12.45pm Location: Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. The closing date for submissions has been extended to Friday, 28 February 2020. Submissions can be made online or by emailing ee.reps@aph.gov.au. Media inquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4573 ee.reps@aph.gov.au

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training has launched an inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments.

Media release issue date: Wednesday, 4 December 2019

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training has launched an inquiry into the education of students in remote and complex environments. Committee Chair, Mr Andrew Laming MP, says the inquiry will examine the performance of the Australian education system in remote and regional areas, its territories and in complex circumstances like drought and post-natural disaster. ‘The Committee looks forward to examining how Education meets the learning needs of students and how barriers in the education journey are overcome,’ Mr Laming said. Areas of interest include: small remote schools; particularly in challenging areas like the tri-state area of central Australia; career counselling of remote students and means of connecting them to further education or local employment; challenges faced by regional schooling providers and initiatives in place; how families of vulnerable young children can access, enrol and remain in early learning, and the collaboration between early and primary education; the performance and monitoring of those in home schooling to maintain national minimum standards; and access and support to deliver the Australian Curriculum (including STEM) in a flexible way, to meet local learning needs and interests of remote students, including examples of innovative ways in which the curriculum is being delivered in remote schools. Submissions to the inquiry are now open. The Committee welcomes advice and suggestions from the public on potential locations for public hearings to be held in 2020. Media inquiries Mr Andrew Laming MP, Chair 07 3821 0155 For background information Committee Secretariat 02 6277 4573 ee.reps@aph.gov.au