A study examined the relationship between medical students' background and their attitudes toward being trained or working as doctors in rural areas. Surveys of 97 first-year medical students at an Australian university indicated that students from rural backgrounds were more willing than urban students to be trained and to work in rural areas.…

Presents a case study of the impact of rapid educational policy change toward self-management on two small rural schools and their communities in Victoria (Australia). Suggests that self-management requires strong community support, and the quality of this support is directly related to a sense of autonomy and ownership. Community support is…

Describes the Farm Management Home Study Program, a distance education program implemented in 1970 that has allowed over 10,000 farmers and land and business managers in rural New South Wales (Australia) to upgrade their skills through vocational programs in farm management, farm office management, and other vocational courses related to farming.…

A beginning teacher appointed to a remote Aboriginal school in the Northern Territory (Australia) describes experiences that led him to question his worth as a teacher, including social and professional isolation, his idealistic expectations of becoming a teacher, and difficulties in teaching students of various ages and academic levels. (LP)

Discusses the historical development of Australia's rural economy and examines ways in which Australia's economic development and current position are reflected in national education policies. Concludes that the current national agenda for education may not fully benefit rural people as it is based on urban models that neglect specific needs and…

Explains how one college student overcame the barriers of living in an isolated, rural area of Tasmania (Australia) to achieve his goal of a career in flying. Stresses the importance of schools encouraging not only student retention but also the formulation of students' personal visions and goals. (LP)

This study of Third International Mathematics and Science Study results addresses the issue of resource availability in rural and urban Australian schools, considering student attitudes toward math and science and career aspirations. Rural schools are more adequately resourced than urban ones. Students' attitudes and aspirations positively affect…

This paper examines seven variables or issues regarded as central to improving the recruitment, training, and retention of rural teachers, doctors, and other professionals, as well as efforts to overcome related problems in rural Australia and Canada. First, selection practices should identify professionals from rural backgrounds and those with…

This paper examines the frequency and purpose of interactions between rural students and teachers at the Brisbane School of Distance Education. Research regarding distance education indicated that: (1) both the school community and rural community significantly influence teacher-student interactions; (2) the student population represents diverse…

This brief address was given by a Australian dairy farmer, who served as a parent representative on a committee of teachers at a local school. The speaker draws his observations from his experience "bridging the gap" between teachers' understanding of school operations and the views of rural parents. Rural values, or "peasant…

This paper addresses the need to sustain rural towns in Australia through private and public investments. Rural and remote areas of Australia have provided the national economy with crucial export earnings and provided governments with royalties and taxes collected on regional resources. However, government funding for upgrading infrastructures…

This paper addresses the major issues beginning teachers face in their first postings to rural areas in Australia. The issues go beyond pedagogy. Beginning teachers need to understand social factors affecting rural communities so they can link lessons to the realities experienced by students. Geographic isolation affects the provision of education…

This report presents a survey of students 15 years or older who left Northern Territory (Australia) urban and Aboriginal secondary schools during 1989. Telephone surveys were conducted with participants and mail questionnaires were used when telephone contact was not possible. Of the 1,971 students in grades 10, 11, and 12 who left urban and…

This paper describes computer and distance-education technologies in the South Western Educational Region of Queensland (Australia). The South Western Region is characterized by isolation, small schools, high teacher and principal turnover, teacher and principal inexperience, student mobility, pockets of social and economic deprivation, and many…

The first national study of facilities for isolated Australian children living away from home was undertaken by the Commonwealth Schools Commission in 1981 and released in 1983. This document contains the conclusions, findings, and recommendations of the Commonwealth Schools Commission Working Party report. The results prompted the Commission to…