Late last week the Federal Government announced it would undertake a landmark review into regional, remote and rural education.

Member for New England Barnaby Joyce has encouraged his constituents to make submissions while the region’s P&C body president Rachael Sowden is urging local community members to voice their concerns.

Mrs Sowden said the review was welcome and hoped changes would be made to benefit those in the New England area.

Among her concerns, she said, were the incentives for regional schools to retain teachers and access and provisions for students with a disability or special needs.

“It’s important to have a voice in the country and I encourage parents to put a submission in, no matter what sector or schools they attend,” she said.

“Teachers come and go, but it not just about the school that is important but what services are available in the town,” she said, “I think there’s also a push to make sure we have teachers who are subject-trained.

“Even in places like Tamworth, sometimes it’s hard to get teachers who are able to fill gaps with casual teachers who might teach in a particular subject area. There is always an issue getting (subject) qualified teachers into those positions.”

Mrs Sowden said there was a “crossover” between government levels when it came to school funding.

“As parents we don’t want our kids to be a political football, we just want to see equitable access and an assurance that our kids will get the service they deserve,” she said.

Mr Joyce said the review was important to the future of education in regional areas.

“I urge members of our education community, families and employers to consider the discussion paper and take the opportunity to share their ideas and experiences about how best we can support local students to succeed in school and beyond,” he said. 

“We’re listening closely to regional communities like the New England in our efforts to improve the education and preparation of young people from the country to develop into their best selves and fully participate in the 21st century economy.”

Community members can enter their submissions until August 29 by the education.gov.au website.