UPDATE: 25 March
Good news for those with students at home and working online. Skymuster Plus will have education webpages unmetered and those on standard Skymuster will receive increased data. ICPA NSW sees this as welcome relief for those concerned about data, with thanks to ICPA Australia and Better Internet for Rural, Regional & Remote Australia (BIRRR) for their continued advocacy.
What this means is peace of mind for those of us who’s
Claire Butler, 25 Marchonly form of internet is on thenbn Satellite. As we now have children studying from home, we don’t need to worry about what would happen if we reached our data cap.
Read the full story in The Land
Internet data and communications connectivity is an example of just some of the issues the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) deals with in their campaign for equitable access to education for all students in rural and remote Australia.
The ICPA is not only non-profit and apolitical, it is run by volunteers.
It has had significant wins over the years, but the NSW president believes the wheels of government turn too slowly for many
Claire Butler came into the job of State president a year ago. She says the small wins, on issues such as internet and mobile communications indicate the organisation can achieve things, but they’d like to see things happen more quickly, so fewer are left behind in the wait.
“For example, we’ve been advocating with the Transport Minister to allow pre-schoolers on school buses and we’re aware that has a myriad of red tape and issues around it.
“But something really positive that has come from those conversations with the Minister is a discussion around perhaps a school drive subsidy for pre-schoolers, so if you privately driving your child a long distance to access pre-school, there’s a subsidy for that.
“It’s really positive when our issues aren’t completely off the table.”
It’s all about working together
“…working collaboratively with other groups is important.”
ICPA NSW doesn’t operate alone in negotiations though, ensuring that other organisations are on the same page.
“We have our annual deputation in Sydney, for our meetings with politicians and other stake holders, and we’ve sat on a number of round tables with the CWA and NSW Farmers, particularly on issues of communication.
“We’ve got less numbers in the bush, and people are busy these days or focused on other things in their lives and don’t get as involved in advocacy on the ground, so working collaboratively with other groups is important.”
Another example of advocating with other organisations is working with local government on funding for better roads for children travelling to school.
Members are at the heart of the ICPA
Claire Butler says the ICPA NSW is always looking for ways to engage people with the issues at the heart of the organisation. They need members not just for the numbers though, but to inform them of what the issues are for rural, regional and remote families educating children.
“We share a lot of information with members — they’re our strength. Our membership numbers are what carries weight when we go to Parliament.
“ICPA has members who are very, very remote and isolated, but we’d love to see more people in rural towns across the State joining because they’re isolated too – they’re isolated from the bigger things cities can offer them.
“There’s still going to always be issues around school buses and even access to secondary education in some small towns.”
Portfolios within the State organisation cover distance education, special education, boarding/ ag high schools and hostels, rural schools, early childhood, tertiary education, communications, allowances, and travel.
On the back of the drought one of the big issues for many families is the affordability of education.
Motions put forward for the cancelled March State Conference in Moree included increasing the Allowance for Isolated Children (AIC), access to Youth Allowance, education assistance for families suffering hardship, the provision of hostel accommodation in towns for families wanting to school closer to home, the need for more agricultural boarding high school options for girls, and State boarding schools more generally.
An essential resource for families considering boarding
“Sometimes we have to swallow our pride and just have a conversation around it.”
ICPA NSW have been sponsored by Boarding Schools Expo for many years, as they’re considered an essential resource for families considering boarding, whether it be public or private, as an education option. They are regulars at the Expos, where they can assist families with information.
“I encourage families attending the Expos to have an honest conversation with schools about fees. If your child is musically minded or artistically talented, have that conversation with the school, as there might be something that the school can do to assist with fees, or work out a plan.
“Especially on the back of the drought, we’ve been encouraging our families to talk to their schools, keeping in mind most of the boarding schools within New South Wales and Victoria, and bottom end of Queensland are members of ICPA NSW.
“We hear from the schools that they want to help families — they don’t want to see families have to leave their school; they want to see children continue their education, but it’s very difficult for a school to have that conversation with the parents.
“Sometimes we have to swallow our pride and just have a conversation around it.”
Like the ICPA NSW State Conference, Boarding Schools Expos have unfortunately been cancelled for 2020 due to coronavirus (COVID-19) containment measures. We’ll be back again in 2021 with dates to be announced very soon.