Today in rural Australia a crisis of diminishing populations and tough economic conditions exists. Towns are disappearing as families find it increasingly difficult to remain living and working in the bush.

One major challenge facing families is affordable access to education, and in communities without a secondary school there are four options to access secondary education.

1.              Separate the family, one parent and children relocate to a town with a high school leaving the other parent behind to earn a living.

2.              Relocate the entire family to start again.

3.              Distance education, arguably an inequitable option at the secondary stage.

4.              Boarding school, currently unaffordable and out of reach for the average working family.

None of these alternatives are ideal however governments have the ability to reduce pressure on rural communities now by reducing the large gap that exists between allowances and fees. This simple change would go a long way to address shrinking populations and economic pressure.

It is not fair to be discriminated against on the basis of address. These are working families who contribute to our economy and society; their children too are entitled to affordable education.

This petition calls on State and Federal Governments to make an immediate and substantial increase in the Living Away from Home Allowance and Allowance for Isolated Children to enable equitable access to education for all Australians regardless of their postcode and to reduce pressure on rural Australian communities.