Research about rural education, and education policy directions for rural schools, are set against formal measures of "disadvantage". These measures about rural "disadvantage" have been defined, evaluated and compared to more "advantaged" provincial and urban schools. Rarely has educational research or policy been…

Due to the difficulties inherent in staffing rural schools in Australia, it is increasingly common for beginning teachers to fill school leadership roles early in their careers. The purpose of this paper is to explore the accelerated progression of some early career teachers who have been offered leadership opportunities in rural schools. Results…

This paper provides information on the background to the two pilot investigations into "interactive distance e-learning" [IDeL] following the introduction in New South Wales and in the Northern Territory of Australia of satellite-supported two-way broad-band internet services for school-age and adult distance education. The context is…

In response to the expense and unreliability of radio and telephone communications, the New South Wales (Australia) Department of Education and Training undertook a trial of satellite technology to deliver interactive lessons to elementary students in remote areas. The Gilat satellite system developed in Israel is described, including equipment,…

An Australian "School of the Air" teacher describes his experiences teaching isolated rural students in grades 3 and 4 via radio and teleconferencing. He discusses lesson materials, exceptional student work, "classroom" techniques for delivering Air lessons, home visits, parent involvement, and his own learning experience. (SV)

In Australia, government-funded equity programs have positively impacted the equality of rural schooling, but persistent issues remain. A literature review examines positive and negative features of rural schooling related to teachers, school size, academic achievement, completion rates, curriculum, lifestyle, and social justice. (Contains 66…

A purely geographic classification is not the best way to measure rural disadvantage in Australia. A service access model is described that incorporates the following elements: population center size; distance, time, and cost of travel to the service center; and a measure of the economic capacity of residents to overcome the cost of travel.…

A survey of 18 families in New South Wales (Australia) examined rural parent perceptions concerning early childhood services. Cost, inflexibility, lack of specific services, and distance were considered problems in service provision. Parent recommendations included flexible use of facilities, outreach services, local development of services, and…

A study of rural Queensland (Australia) parents' views of their children's involvement in physical activity interviewed parents who taught their children at home using distance education. Physical activity was encouraged, but not formally taught; health was linked more to nutrition than exercise; and lack of participation in team games was…

Outlines the policy framework for vocational education and training (VET) in New South Wales (Australia), provision of VET through distance education to isolated learners and students in small rural schools, issues related to the child-to-adult transition of isolated students, and the varying educational needs of students following five different…

The Isolated Schools' Project offers final-year preservice teachers the opportunity to experience teaching in a nonevaluated situation in a rural or remote part of Queensland (Australia). Two student teachers describe their three-week experiences in isolated one-room schools. (SV)

A survey in isolated areas of Australia examined education-related attitudes of 122 parents of children with mild or moderate disabilities. The survey covered demographic data on respondent and child, degree and type of disability, location and providers of educational program, distance from school, resources at home, support needed, impact of…

Student teachers relate their teaching experiences in small rural schools in Queensland (Australia), including recognizing the importance of the school to its community, the resources that rural schools use in providing a quality education, the role of the teacher in a rural setting, and the close relationship between rural teachers and their…

Describes a collaborative project designed to better prepare Australian preservice teachers for teaching in remote schools through six-week rural mentorship programs and joint preservice and inservice professional development. Discusses how development of partnerships among cooperating institutions and between teachers, student teachers, and the…

A final-year student teacher from the University of Southern Queensland (Australia) describes her student teaching experiences in a one-room school in the isolated town of Birdsville, focusing on the harsh natural environment, the demands of a multiage classroom, and positive attributes of the small school and community involvement. (SV)