Schools have always been central to rural communities, but today they are critical to the sustainability of social and economic life for people who live beyond major centres of population. The development of virtual structures and processes that enhance classes in and between rural schools has provided extended educational and, indirectly,…

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…

In this paper, the author has attempted to provide an overview of some of the issues and challenges confronting rural educators and parents in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. He has chosen to focus on three of the most pressing at this point in time: (1) declining enrollment and its consequences; (2) the continuing pressure on…

In recent years, the teaching staff from the Central Queensland school of Wowan State Primary School have been responding to recently released Education Queensland initiatives or whole school literacy planning, "Literate Futures: Reading" (Education Queensland, 2002), and a framework for pedagogical reform, "Productive…

With the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the United States entered the "age of high-stakes educational accountability". According to the United States Department of Education, NCLB is designed to change the culture of America's schools by closing the achievement gap, offering more flexibility, giving parents more…

A teacher intern discusses her experiences in Bendick Murrell Public School in rural New South Wales, and the benefits of attending a small school. The school's own initiatives include literacy targeting, an extensive music education program, an Indonesian language program, extended sporting opportunities, public speaking and debating, computer…

A teacher intern describes her experiences in a small K-6 school in rural, central west New South Wales (Australia), focusing on community and parent involvement in the school, the benefits of multigrade classes, the close relationships of students and staff, and extracurricular activities. (SV)

Fifty primary school teachers in rural Queensland provided brief biographical descriptions of the children in their classes. A typical class of 24 pupils would average 13 normally adjusted and achieving students, 2 handicapped students, 3 underachieving students, 2 students from migrant or culturally different groups, and 4 students "at…

Explores the perceptions of 24 inexperienced teachers appointed to isolated rural schools in western Queensland. Focuses on the effects of isolation on the teachers' attitudes, behavior, involvement with the community, and teaching performance. Finds that, contrary to popular belief, many young teachers viewed their experience positively. (SV)

A teacher intern in New South Wales (Australia) describes her experiences as a student in a small rural school, how early experience with distance education and independent learning was beneficial at university, teaching practicums in two rural schools, and her internship in a rural Aboriginal school. (SV)

At Annenberg Rural Challenge sites, people in small U.S. communities have gathered their resources and organized their schools so as to reclaim rural places and traditions facing economic or political eradication. Educational innovations and practices at various sites are described, and their application to urban settings is discussed. Includes 10…

Reviews a New Zealand report titled, "Report of the Economic and Educational Viability of Small Schools Review." Discusses the four aspects of small schools considered in the report: (1) educational viability; (2) economic viability; (3) relationships of small schools with their communities; and (4) conflict between availability and…

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…

Overviews factors that influenced school consolidation and the development of centralized elementary schools in rural Hong Kong since the mid-1980s, including changes in urban development, population redistribution, and government policy on rural education. Also describes the context of rural school consolidation in the Wimmera, Victoria,…

Addresses factors affecting rural education in Tasmania (Australia), including population trends, financial support, student enrollment, socioeconomic status of rural residents, and geographic isolation. Issues that need to be addressed include the status of small schools in Tasmania, costs associated with transporting students, staffing, low…