- Young people within rural Victoria have lower retention rates in learning than their metropolitan and regional peers.
- Young people have a lower uptake of higher education courses.
- Why is this so?
- What contributes to these trends?
- What are the initiatives that could be introduced to engage rural young people in lifelong learning?
These were some of the issues explored at the 2011 CEP Rural Learning Summit.
Mark McLay at 2010 Rural Learning Summit
The 2011 Summit was held on Friday, 12th August at Glenormiston College, near Terang and considered a number of focus areas.
- Analysis of the trends in retention
- Learning from programs that work
- Listening to young people – presentation and a panel discussion with the newly created Rural Youth Ambassadors.
- Exploring future and innovative practical and workable solutions for government, schools and Country Education Project
The Hon. Peter Hall, Minister for Higher Education and Skill and Minister responsible for the teaching profession attended the Summit.
I have just completed my Masters in Teaching at Melbourne Uni and have a particular interest in Indigenous education and engaging Indigenous students. A large component of my Masters was focused on this issue. I would be keen to attend your summit, however I am currently only engaged in CRT, so I will understand if full time teachers are given priority.
Thanks Yma for your interest in the summit. You would be most welcome to attend – we are getting a number of expressions of interest so number are going to be tight. You may be interested to know that the case study for the day will be focused on the Rumbulara initiative for indigenous young people in the Goulburn Valley. Will keep you in touch with the developments of the summit. Phil
I’m in the Swan Hill / Mallee district.
(teaching this year at Manangatang P – 12 College)
Hi, I’d like to attend but I can’t see this happening.
SO here’s my pet idea which I have echoed to my friends (and I even spoke to John Forrest’s office but he was busy getting workers from another country). Here, in the Swan Hill / Robinvale area, (and even on the farms during harvest in the Mallee), students have some access to picking and labouring jobs. They can earn the minimum wage. Fine. HOWEVER, not all students see value in doing labouring jobs. Why not turn this around? I suggest students earn the usual – minimum wage BUT the government put in some dollars over and above this wage ,setting it aside into an account purely and simply for access when, and only if, they enroll and attend a universtiy or higher educational institution after secondary school. Each summer / season the student works, if he/she is in the scheme, they add to their ‘private school fund’. It’s a win-win idea, I reckon. The farmer gets young folks who are motivated because they will have this fund later when the ‘minimum wage’ may not have been saved; the farmer doesn’t have to worry about housing etc. because the students have a family structure, health, and -when old enough- will have their own transport. [If a local school bus is available, maybe this could be used for transport.] The government is also winning because they – finally – would be seen to be endorsing and encouraging the rural students to get to university. Of course, if the student opted out of further education, the money is retained in the fund. Students must realise from the onset that this is purely money for education, they didn’t directly earn it (they have already been paid for their work), their government has put it aside for them solely on the proviso that they get a further education.
It is an investment in Australia’s future. I would be very happy to work on this idea with you if you think it’s worthwhile.
Thanks Brenda, We will pass this idea on so that it is included in the discussion at the summit. What school community do you come from? Phil