Education in Rural Australia Vol 13, No 2 (2003)

Journal Papers The Rural Population Transformation and Education in Australia David McSwan, School of Education, James Cook University Abstract This paper aims to relate the Australia data on rural­-urban migration and economic change to education. It illustrates that there has been scant policy attention to the fundamental role of education in the changing nature of Australia’s […]

Education in Rural Australia Vol 14, No 1 (2004)

Journal Papers Some links between economic and social changes in rural area and the need for reform in rural education John M Bryden Abstract This paper discussed the principal economic and social changes taking place in rural areas of the OECD countries, identifies some of the key future challenges they face, and proposes some necessary shifts […]

Education in Rural Australia Vol 14, No 2 (2004)

Journal Papers Beyond The Agricultural Paradigm in Regional and Rural Australia: Building Capacity to Create a Preferred Future Janelle Allison, Centre for Rural and Regional Innovation, The University of Queensland Jock Douglas, Wyoming, via Roma Abstract Regional and rural Australia is undergoing significant change. Among the drivers for change are: (1) an emerging discourse on nature […]

Call for Abstracts: 2016 SPERA/ISFIRE Conference

Rural Education: Place, Pedagogies, Partnerships and Possibilities SPERA, in partnership with the SiMERR National Research Centre at the University of New England, invites you to submit abstracts for the 32nd National SPERA Conference and 4th International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education. Hosted by CQUniversity Australia and supported by the University of Tasmania, the 2016 […]

32nd National SPERA Conference and 4th International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education

Early Bird Registrations are now open! SPERA, with the SiMERR National Research Centre at the University of New England, invites you to join us for the 32nd National SPERA Conference and 4th International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education. Hosted by CQUniversity Australia’s Ooralea Campus and supported by the University of Tasmania, the 2016 conference […]

Transparency needed in teacher recruitment: The smoke may be clearing in the ATAR battle

ACER recently reported that: In recent debates about ATARs we have lost sight of what matters most in teacher recruitment: selecting high-quality candidates to ensure a strong profession, says Lawrence Ingvarson. NSW Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli has been accused of ‘attacking students with shameful elitism’ with his plan requiring new teachers appointed to NSW […]

“The spatial distribution of curriculum in (rural) schools: broadening access” ACSA Webinar

Phil Roberts is part of the SPERA Executive and a lecturer at the University of Canberra. On Thursday 2 June 2016, 7-8pm AEST Phil will be presenting an Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA) Webinar to discuss: “The spatial distribution of curriculum in (rural) NSW schools”             This webinar explores access to the senior secondary curriculum […]

Labor will need more than scholarships to make teaching science an attractive career

Shaun Belward wrote in The Conversation on 20th May 2016 Labor has proposed to invest $400 million to ensure that all high school science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) teachers are fully qualified. While this education policy may look appealing, there is a distinct lack of breadth in what is on the table. The aim […]

The Federal Budget and Regional Australia

Article published by Regional Australia Institute The Federal Budget 2016-17 has been released with a focus on creating long term growth and jobs. The measures have been described by commentators as modest, with big spending promises or cuts kept to a minimum in this year’s announcement. The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) takes a look at the […]

Federal budget 2016: education experts react

Article written for The Conversation by Glenn C. Savage, Conor King, John Fischetti, Megan O’Connell & Perter Goss The government is spruiking a focus on education to drive innovation in the 2016 budget but it has put off higher education reforms in favour of further consultation. The higher education reforms, which included the deregulation of […]

Call for Papers: Unsettling Place and Space.

Editors: Sarah Pinto, Shelley Hannigan, Emma Charlton and Bernadette Walker-Gibbs This edited collection will examine the ways in which considerations of place and/or space can be unsettling. It will draw together researchers from across the disciplines in order to chart the unsettled landscapes in which we find ourselves. We invite contributions from researchers from a […]

DEAL OR NO DEAL? BRINGING SMALL CITIES INTO THE NATIONAL CITIES AGENDA

Article published by Regional Australia Institute Australia’s 31 small cities are a diverse, growing and highly productive network of urban areas. They are already home to 4.5 million people and contribute 15 per cent of national economic activity as well as being the services hubs for the majority of regional Australians. Analysis of small cities’ […]

Pre-service Teacher Sponsorship 2016

Apply today! Sponsorships are available for pre-service educators to attend the 32nd National SPERA Conference, 28 to 30 September 2016, Mackay, Queensland. If you are a pre-service teacher and thinking about a career in rural, regional or remote education, you could receive: • complimentary attendance at the upcoming SPERA conference, being held this year at […]

Australian Rural Education Awards 2016

Call for Nominations Since 1994, the Australian Rural Education Award (AREA) has been awarded annually to an institution, organisation or industry to recognise excellence in rural education in Australia. Category 1 Existing projects that demonstrate a proven link between a rural, regional and/or remote school or learning context and the local community, and benefiting a […]

SPERA Annual General Meeting 2015 Minutes

SPERA Annual General Meeting 2015 was held at Deakin University Geelong, Waterfront Campus on Thursday 5th November 2015. The following were nominated and accepted for Executive. Don Boyd John Borserio Louisa Bowman Philip Roberts Dorothy Donovan Paula Jervis-Tracey Jodie Kline Sue Ledger Louise Martin Brian O’Neill Sue Trinidad Charles Bradley – Public Officer Following the […]

Five new frameworks that can drive teacher education reform

Written by Professor John Fischetti for The Conversation There have been more than 100 reports critiquing teacher education in Australia since the 1970s. These reports led to new tests and more accountability standards and measures of teacher behaviours. Today we have a regulated profession that has not changed the content of what is taught as […]

32nd National SPERA Conference 2016

Rural Education: Place, Pedagogies, Partnerships and Possibilities Hosted by CQUniversity Australia’s Ooralea Campus and supported by the University of Tasmania, the 2016 conference will bring together a range of national and international teachers, school administrators, teacher educators, academics, pre-service teachers, community members and parents who are passionate about rural education. Where: CQUniversity Australia: Ooralea Campus […]

What’s so hard about teaching? Words of advice for new teachers

Article written by  Misty Adoniou for The Conversation The first term of the school year is coming to a close. For most beginning teachers the school holidays cannot come soon enough. All of them feel exhausted. Most will be anxious about the quality of their work – have their students been learning, are their colleagues […]

2016 ACEN Student scholarships

Eight scholarships of $1,500 for remote and regional Australia Applications are now open for scholarships to provide financial support for students undertaking a work integrated learning (WIL) placement in a regional or remote area of Australia as part of their 2016/2017 university studies. Once again eight scholarships to the value of $1,500 each are being […]

Innovation Watch

Innovation Watch is a national network of regional Australians that have come together to share ideas about successful community-led development. It is a platform to exchange ideas and learn from the experiences of others about what works in regional development. Discussions focus on practical initiatives that are driven by the local community. Regional Australia is […]

Julia Gillard to attend as Australia’s oldest continually running school in Newcastle celebrates 200 years

Article written by Jackson Vernon for ABC News Former prime minister Julia Gillard will be part of the upcoming bicentenary celebrations for Australia’s oldest continually running school. In February, Newcastle East Primary School will mark 200 years since it was opened in 1816. Back then 16 students made up the first class, including a mix […]

Remote Education Systems

About the project The Remote Education Systems (RES) project aims to find out how remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can get the best benefit from the teaching and learning happening in and out of schools. It is doing this by engaging with members of communities, schools, government agencies and other end users who […]

Closing the ‘digital divide’ for disadvantaged students

Thursday 21 January 2016 Joint Media Release from The Department of Education and Training Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham Minister for Education and Training The Hon Christopher Pyne MP Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Leader of the House   Australian students from rural, remote, disadvantaged and Indigenous schools stand to benefit from a $6.9 million […]

2016 Grant Opportunities

Happy New Year! To help you make the most of 2016, the following are some grant opportunities that may be of interest to you or your organisation. The Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) currently has four grant opportunities available, as follows: Tackling Tough Times Together: Closing on Wednesday 27 January 2016, the Tackling […]

Inspiring Educators: An Interview with Mr Brian O’Neill

The Team at Faculty recently spoke with Mr Brian O’Neill, who is principal of Calen District College and President for the Society for the Provision of Education in Rural Australia (SPERA). This 45 minute conversation provides a fascinating insight into teaching in rural Australia. Continue Reading…

RUN welcomes changes to Youth Allowance to help regional students

The Regional Universities Network (RUN) welcomes changes to Youth Allowance which will make it easier for rural and regional students to go to university. The changes, passed by the Federal Parliament on November 12, will result in all dependent children being taken into consideration in the assessment for Youth Allowance eligibility, softening the reductions in […]

Thank You Deakin

Since the first SPERA National Conference was held 31 years ago, a great deal has been achieved, many innovative practices have been celebrated and ground-breaking research around the provision of education in rural areas has been published. All of these achievements have been designed to prepare teachers to undertake careers in these areas and to provide rural students with a smorgasbord of opportunities […]

Improving mathematics and science education in rural Australia: A practice report

Robert Whannell, Steve Tobias

There has been a steady decline in the number of secondary and tertiary students studying mathematics and science. Rural schools also report a shortage of qualified teachers in these disciplines. This paper describes the steps taken at the University of New England (UNE) to improve the provision of mathematics and science education (MS) in rural Australia. Initiatives such as the use of an online interactive digital classroom by rural NSW schools presenting MS contexts based on a SMART (sustainable, management, and accessible rural technologies) Farm will be presented. Research to improve teacher confidence and competence in these areas will be discussed along with the steps being taken to develop a Higher Education Research Facility (HERF) which will support research and engagement in the STEM domain.

Using virtual worlds in rural and regional educational institutions

Sue Gregory, Lisa Jacka, Mathew Hillier, Scott Grant

This paper presents four case studies from two regional and two metropolitan Australian universities, showcasing how 3D virtual world platforms have been used to connect, engage and motivate students in both co-located and non-co-located contexts. The case studies provide practical examples of how virtual worlds and associated applications have been operationalised in real teaching and learning contexts involving a range of different disciplines. For rural educators looking for innovative ways to enrich the student learning experience, the case studies offer first hand insights into the potential and the problems of using virtual worlds for educational purposes.

Comparing rural and urban education contexts for GLBTIQ students

Tiffany Jones

This paper considers the different experiences for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) students from rural and urban education contexts. It draws on data from three studies of GLBTIQ students I have conducted since 2010, including a 2010 online survey of 3,134 GLBTIQ students in which one fifth came from rural areas; a 2012 study of transgender people and a 2013 study of transgender and intersex students. The different studies repeatedly showed that GLBTIQ students from rural and remote towns experienced isolation, social discrimination and a lack of appropriate services and support. They were less likely to feel safe at school, at social occasions and on the internet than their urban peers. Many aspired to leave their rural and regional homes to become the person they wanted to be in an urban environment. The paper concludes by recommending specific training, resources and contacts to improve rural education services for these students.