Bush kids beaten by bad connections
The Isolated Children's Parents' Association is crying out for better internet services or hard-copies of curricula, saying students are being left behind by dodgy wireless hook-ups.
With much of the country's distance education services delivered online-only, the Association president has said something needs to be done to end the disadvantage to kids in the bush.
“It's just no end of frustration for often the parents who are trying to deliver the program and for the children who are trying to learn,” president Judy Newton said, “It's very frustrating when they're attempting to have lessons and they're dropping out [internet connection].”
Ms Newton says concessions should be made until infrastructure is up to standard: “One thing that we would like to see happen is a tertiary entrance allowance for these children who have no other choice but to relocate...we'd also like to see the students who don't qualify for youth allowance or the students who are independent receiving independent youth allowance.”
Adelaide has been hosting the Isolated Children's Parents' Association's annual conference this week.