Hard lessons

Northern Territory teachers have shared their fears of the ‘death of remote schools’

Territory teachers are sick and tired of watching on as remote schools and their students suffer while urban schools enjoy comparative luxury. Two educators, who work at remote schools, bravely spoke to the Sunday Territorian after the Australian Education Union NT’s recent conference.

Some of the stories told were shocking.

They spoke of examples of children sleeping on the floor because the boarding house facilities were simply not large enough to cater to students.

They spoke of students having to choose between relieving themselves in the private and sanitary confines of an indoor toilet – or urinating on a tree instead, because of a septic tank overflow which reduced the number of working toilets to one. This is unacceptable.

But the statement by one of the teachers that it is easy to forget the plight of those in remote schools is all too true.

It is an unfortunate truth: out of sight, out of mind.

But what if this were happening to students in Darwin, Palmerston or Katherine?

What outrage would be shown by the people of the Northern Territory, by the parents, and by the government.

These children are entitled to go to school and be in an environment that is conducive to learning.

Being a child in school is hard enough – let alone in remote schooling where facilities have been allowed to deteriorate. The $1.087bn funding boost from the NT and federal government for the Territory’s education system (to be rolled out from 2025 to 2029) must absolutely be spent wisely, as should the extra $100m bonus to the 2024 education budget.

It is understood the extra $100m – which would bring the NT Government’s schooling budget to $890m – will be spent on school infrastructure. Hopefully it won’t take until these children have graduated to see an improvement.