The full program and abstracts from the 2024 National Conference for Regional, Rural and Remote Education is now available.
Many thanks to all our presenters, attendees and sponsors for making this conference such a success.
We look forward to seeing you again in 2026!
This special issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education explores school-community relationships from a diversity perspective. The contributions originated in presentations delivered as part of the European Educational Research Association’s Network 14 sessions at the annual European Conference in Educational Research in August 2023. The papers present perspectives from a wide range of contexts: from Asia and Australia to Europe and South America.
It concludes with the transcript of a conversation between the Regional Education Commissioner, Ms Fiona Nash, and the Scottish Commissioner for Fair Access, Professor John McKendrick, hosted by the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education at […]
We are excited to announce the Call for Submission and Registration for the 2024 National Conference for Regional, Rural and Remote Education (NCRRRE) is now open!
The Conference theme “Growth Through Equity” aims to highlight strength-based models for regional, rural and remote education, whereby education providers recognise and partner with the rich knowledge, experiences, skills and diversity that local communities have, and provide opportunity to all.
This year we also celebrate the 30th year of the Australian Rural Education Awards – get your entries in!
Voices matter. The experience of the recent referendum on First Nations constitutional recognition in Australia demonstrates that local people in remote communities have a voice and want to be heard. Read the lastest issue of AIJRE.
In November 2023 host Samantha Avitaia from Bega NSW spoke with Julie Evans, CEO of Sapphire Coast Community Aged Care and delved into how the organisation forged local partnerships with three tiers of education: secondary, vocational and tertiary – in a simple but effective program to address a rural staffing crisis, and provide positive outcomes for their community. This community-grown model is now being replicated in other rural areas and expanded into further industries.
Watch the recording here:
This month October 2023 our host Viveka Simpson (Teach for Australia) welcomed guests Rex Meredith and Jonelle Heacock to take a closer look at teaching in very remote Australian schools. Catchup via our webinar recording here:
Our September 2023 webinar featured Dr Marcia Devlin, CEO of the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership with Kimberley Tempest, Principal of Cobram Secondary College. They unpacked factors impacting the success of students at rural and regional institutions, at both secondary and higher education levels. Watch the webinar recording here:
Rural Insights – Facilitating Student Success at Rural and Regional Institutions
In this special issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, international scholars consider how rural knowledges are – or are not – embedded in their local educational systems. They draw on their work, research, and their lived-experiences in rural education to explore the opportunities and challenges of enacting place-conscious curriculum and pedagogies.
Indigenous initiative Wuyagiba Study Hub, is changing the landscape within the education sector.
We enjoyed a wonderful webinar on Monday 31st July 2023. Watch the recording here:
Early Childhood Education
SPERA is delighted to be launching our ‘Rural Insights’ webinar series from July 2023. At just 30 mins, these are short, sharp and fast webinars that couple research and best-practice practical approaches to rural education issues.
SPERA developed a unique submission to the Australian Universities Accord featuring a series of rural case studies.
Through these examples, SPERA hope to highlight the very real challenges that students from RRR areas
face in pursuing higher education and the importance of providing targeted support to help them achieve their goals.
SPERA believe that by sharing these stories we can raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by students in RRR communities and inspire policymakers, universities, and other stakeholders to take action to address these challenges.
In this issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, the contributing Australian Rural Education Awards (AREAs) have been awarded annually since 1994 to recognise excellence in rural education in Australia. Australian Rural Education Awards Categories Regional, Remote, Rural Partnership Award Community Centric Award First Nations Education Award Research Excellence Award Innovative Project Award Run by the Wuyagiba Bush Hub Aboriginal Corporation (WBHAC) in partnership with Macquarie University (in-kind support), Wuyagiba Study Hub (WSH) aims to provide Indigenous people from remote communities of Arnhem Land with the opportunity to access tertiary education and employment on-Country in a culturally supportive environment. We have developed two unique Micro-credentials with Macquarie University that celebrate two-ways learning by interweaving Academic and Cultural units. The cultural units were developed and are taught by local Aboriginal Elders and knowledge holders. Since 2018, over 100 students have attended the Study Hub which has also created a pathway to Macquarie University for […] Since 1994, Australian Rural Education Awards (AREAs) have been awarded annually to an individual, institution, organisation or industry to recognise excellence in rural education in Australia. Presented by the Hon. Fiona Nash, Regional Education Commissioner, and SPERA President Chris Ronan, the 2022 AREAs were recently announced at the National Conference for Regional, Rural & Remote Education conference dinner Barossa Valley on the 13th of October 2022. Congratulations to all of the AREA 2022 awardees! Regional, Remote, Rural Partnership Award In this issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education, our authors explore the impact of partnerships on education in rural communities. Schools are expected to prepare students for an unknown and uncertain future. Partnerships between schools and industry, higher education providers and the wider community can achieve greater outcomes for students than schools working in isolation. SPERA is thrilled to publish the 2022 AREA Case Studies! Check out fantastic rural education projects from across the country, This July 2022 issue of the Australian and International Journal of Rural Education brings together a selection of papers presented at the 2021 International Symposium for Innovation in Rural Education (ISFIRE). In this March 2022 Edition of AIJRE, these perspectives relate to teacher education, rural clinical placements, rural pathways to university, and credentialling of remote education tutors. 
AIJRE: Celebration, Attraction and Retention of a Regional and Rural Workforce
authors explore the impact of partnerships and purposeful engagement in attracting and
retaining professionals to regional and rural communities.
Australian Rural Education Awards
Demonstrating a successful partnership for students outcomes in a RRR community of praxis
Recognition of a person/project/organisation who have placed a RRR community at its’ centre
Recognising excellence in Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander RRR education
Recognising significant contribution to the Australian RRR education discourse
Innovative programs and practices in RRR education
Wuyagiba Study Hub
2022 Australian Rural Education Awards
Demonstrating a successful partnership for students outcomes in a RRR community of praxis
Winner: HarvestEd Student Agricultural Program – QLD Virtual STEM […]
AIJRE: School Communities and Partnerships
2022 AREA Case Studies
proud finalists of the 2022 Australian Rural Education Awards.
AIJRE: Educating for Cultural Sustainability
AIJRE: Rural Professional Learning: Systemic and Student Perspectives