The history of racism in Australia is inextricably linked with prevailing ideologies of rural Australia, supported strongly by educational discourses of deficit and disadvantage. A challenge for the Reconciliation Movement will be to make an effective contribution to the development of anti-racist and non-racist practices in rural schooling.…

Describes historical background, organization, funding, and current course structure and accreditation in Australia's national system of Vocational Education and Training (VET). Discusses implications of recent VET changes for rural college libraries in terms of providing appropriate resources to training programs and flexible services to students…

Describes the development of a flexible learning center at the rural Kalgoorlie campus of Curtin University (Australia). Discusses the flexible delivery approach to providing training that is responsive to client needs, the center's physical resources, staff development for flexible delivery, practices at other flexible learning centers, staffing,…

Over 80 isolated students in grades preK-7 participate in the Meekatharra School of the Air (MSOTA) in Western Australia. The "Composition over the Air" project provided MSOTA students with musical opportunities in collaboration with a composer, via two-way radio and at resident camps. (SV)

Many teacher educators today will find little difficulty in completing this cloze--but Bob Dylan's understanding of the outsider may not be one that we share in terms of our own experience as teacher educators. Our concern in this paper is to suggest that such an understanding may also be one that we do not often concern ourselves with on behalf…

Short descriptions and contact information for the 14 programs nominated for the 1996 Australian Rural Education Award. The winner's acceptance speech describes the Students at Risk Program at East Kalgoorlie Public School (Western Australia), a transportation and health support program developed from discussions with children and parents that…

A rural school principal from New Zealand participated in a principal exchange program that allowed her to visit various rural schools in Australia. She examined incentives to attract and retain teachers in remote schools, forms of teacher monitoring and appraisal, and the extent to which Australian parents and community members were involved in…

Explores quantitative and qualitative dimensions of rurality in pursuit of a definition. Distinguishes between rural education and education in rural areas. Discusses rural-urban differences in values and lifestyle. Advocates defining rurality from the rural resident's perspective, emphasizing diversity of social, cultural, and occupational…

Provides contact information and brief descriptions of 13 high schools, colleges, community programs, and distance education schools receiving the Australian Rural Education Award in 2000. (SV)

An Australian "School of the Air" teacher describes his experiences teaching isolated rural students in grades 3 and 4 via radio and teleconferencing. He discusses lesson materials, exceptional student work, "classroom" techniques for delivering Air lessons, home visits, parent involvement, and his own learning experience. (SV)

In Australia, government-funded equity programs have positively impacted the equality of rural schooling, but persistent issues remain. A literature review examines positive and negative features of rural schooling related to teachers, school size, academic achievement, completion rates, curriculum, lifestyle, and social justice. (Contains 66…

Debunks common myths about rurality and rural Australia. Calls for a change in perspective, putting person and place at the center of learning. Local involvement is key to the proposed Centre for Rural Communities, which would promote community sustainability through networking and training. Describes the Rural Women's Programme in Victoria and a…

Describes the changes that occurred at a traditional high school in rural Western Australia and findings that emerged from the Western Australian School Effectiveness Study, a longitudinal study of 28 rural high schools. Focuses on the school's staff and how they absorbed the changes around them and became different people. (CDS)

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)

Establishes the need for social work course offerings in rural Victoria, Australia, to improve access to education and social services. In 1989 Phillip Institute of Technology offered its Bachelor of Social Work degree and Graduate Diploma in Community Development in the Central Victorian city of Bendigo. (KS)