Students will benefit from improvements to Distance Education following a review to streamline the enrolment process and boost access for children across NSW.

All students should be able to realise their education potential no matter where they live or their circumstances.

With a more diverse range of students requiring Distance Education due to their location, learning needs or curriculum choices, the NSW Department of Education is working to improve access to the provision, and will implement all 12 recommendations identified in the Distance Education Review.

The 2023 Auditor General’s report into Rural and Remote education strategy found a lack of face-to-face time with a teacher made it difficult to maintain student engagement, despite the broader curriculum offering.

Since the release of the Auditor General’s report, the Minns Government has worked to improve the identified gaps in access and governance of rural education, including conducting the review of Distance Education.

Distance Education had not been subject to review for 16 years, with the provision remaining substantially unchanged since 2009. Student need and technology supports have changed greatly in that time.

The review also found that while Distance Education once mostly provided for students living in rural and remote areas, Distance Education now provides a range of offerings including language curriculum, specialist extension courses and provisions for children with specific additional needs.

While the review found a wide range of curriculum offerings is available to students enrolled in Distance Education, a significant opportunity exists to expand access to those offerings, and to ensure there is equitable access for students, irrespective of their location or circumstances.

Currently, NSW provides Distance Education to more than 8,000 students, from preschool to Year 12.

Around 5,500 students access single subjects to complement their in-school learning, and 2,667 are enrolled full-time through Distance Education.

Students who use distance education may be from rural or remote parts of the state, elite athletes, performers, children with a disability, and students studying single unit subjects.

Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:

“We are committed to making improvements so students learning through Distance Education are able to access a high-quality education equal to that of their peers in mainstream schools.

“Following the findings of the Auditor General, we commissioned a review to ensure we improve the educational experience for our students accessing Distance Education – particularly those in rural and regional settings.

“I look forward to seeing the unlocked potential of this offering and this workforce as these changes roll out.”

Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty said:

“This review was a long time overdue and the findings will allow the Minns Government to make the necessary changes to ensure that students living in rural and remote NSW receive the same standards of education as students in the city do.

“Every student in NSW, no matter where they live, deserves an equitable education experience.”

Acting Deputy Secretary for Strategic Priorities Daniel French said:

“The needs of students who use distance education has shifted significantly over the past decade, driven by advances in technology and the need for more flexible learning options.

“We now have the opportunity to take these findings and leverage them, whether that be through better technology, improving the delivery of online curriculum, or getting teachers engaged in the exciting and limitless possibilities of virtual learning.”