Reliable communication was one of the main issues discussed by regional and remote residents who attended the Isolated Children and Parent Association (ICPA) conference in Sydney last week. 

More than 180 delegates attended the three-day gathering, which according to ICPA Federal President Louise Martin was highly successful.

The pre-conference function at the ICPA conference, held at Doltone House in Sydney.

"There was a lot of robust debate and excellent audience participation," she said.

The ICPA works to provide students in rural and remote Australia with equal access to education. 

 Ms Martin said that reliable communication services were prevalent on the agenda, and were essential to support remote children's education. "There's more and more requirement to be online to learn."

 Unreliable connections are still an issue for many people living in rural and regional areas. 

"There was a lot of fear around the 3G closure and if the 4G network is going to have the same coverage," Ms Martin said. 

"There's also concern that if there are outages, how long it's going to take to either repair or if there will be backup services available."

Ms Martin said delegates were also concerned they could lose their landline which is often the only reliable source of communication in the bush. 

"There is potential for us all to end up on satellite which puts all your eggs in one basket. What happens if the power is out and suddenly you've got no service?" she asked. 

David Butler from the Nyngan branch of the ICPA travelled to the conference and said transport was an issue he was particularly interested in. "Some people are doing 100 kilometres one way, a couple times a week, just to access to preschool," Mr Butler said. 

He said as attention continued to be drawn to the importance of early childhood education, it was important remote children had access to transportation to the next preschool. 

In 2021, Mr Butler said a pilot program was initiated to provide pre-school transport to families in the Nyngan region. The program was extended until 2023 but Mr Butler said there was now uncertainty over the future of the bus assistance.

He said transport for all levels of schooling was of concern for those seeking to educate their children.

Assistance needed for boarding costs

Mr Butler said when his daughter, Jackie (36), started boarding school, Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) covered over half of the $12,000 school boarding fees. 

As of 2024, AIC offers families $12,816 for boarding allowance per child. The boarding school fees, however, can cost upwards of $30,000. 

The ICPA is pushing for the AIC to cover at least 55 percent of the average annual boarding costs. 

Ms Martin said the undeniable circumstances facing remote children was that there was no other choice but to attend boarding schools for secondary education.

Compensation for home schooling

Members of the ICPA are also seeking recognition for the work required to facilitate home schooling.

"This is often the role of the mother who gives up paid work opportunities to educate their children," NSW President Tanya Mitchell from Bourke said. 

"When children are attending online lessons with a teacher, it is unsatisfactory to think that the online teacher, who is situated hundreds of kilometres away, is able to supervise children safely and effectively," Ms Mitchell said.

"The home tutor must be present to commit six to eight hours a day in addition to the necessary preparation time."

According to the ICPA, 250 children across remote Australia are part of approved distance education programs but they are not yet part of the AIC scheme.

ICPA Conference 2024 Photo Credit: ICPA supplied