DESPITE accessing a public education, families living in remote areas can often be left as much as $300,000 out of pocket while educating one child, delegates at the Isolated Children's Parents' Association federal conference heard last week.
To help reduce some of this burden, ICPA will be lobbying the federal government to establish a Distance Education Teaching Allowance to go toward the costs of a home tutor in distance education systems.
Newly-elected ICPA president Alana Moller, who previously held the distance education portfolio, said this was not a new idea but had become more important as the drought continued.
She said ICPA research had shown the role of tutor was performed unpaid by the mother in 80 per cent of situations, continued for about eight to 10 years - depending on the number of children - took up 35 to 40 hours a week and left 84pc of these unpaid tutors unable to engage in paid employment or fill a role in their farm business.
"I do the spelling tests and the reading lessons and the rest of the time I'm supervising," she said.
Ms Moller said as well as Families and Social Services Minister Anne Ruston and Education Minister Dan Tehan, ICPA would also lobby Minister for Women Marisa Payne, with women primarily taking on this unpaid responsibility.
"It does affect wellbeing if our work is being undervalued," she said.
ICPA NT state council president Sarah Cook estimated the cost of her children's public education to be in excess of $300,000 for primary schooling, based on losing her potential wage.
She said she was unable to help her husband in the field or take on other employment, which added up considerably.
"We're doing without a wage while I'm teaching my children," she said.
"If we lost that for seven years, that is my financial contribution.
"Instead of being a support for my husband in the field, we've had to employ someone."
Ms Cook estimated her lost wage at about $45,000 to work out the cost.
"When you add up the lost wage, it is considerable," she said.
"Between three children, I will spend 12 years in the classroom.
"But we're investing in our children to make sure they're educated and supported throughout their education."
Alice Springs, NT, branch member Amber Driver said DETA was needed to raise the profile of the work a tutor does to educate children in rural and remote areas.
"We still have to recognise the role mothers fill or that a paid tutor has in education," she said.
"My child receives a public education and I'm out of pocket paying a governess.
"The flipside is, if I were the tutor, I would be out of our workforce and the company would have to look at employing someone else to take on my responsibilities."
RELATED READING: Food, fibre curriculum needs right story
Ms Driver is the pilot in the business and says they decided to pay for a governess to fill the education role, but it did come with an extra financial burden.
"What really resonates, especially in a prolonged drought, is the pressure on staffing levels," she said.
Flinders Ranges, SA, branch member Mija Reynolds said this recognition was also important when considering the potential mental health burden.
"We're time poor because we're doing so many things and we're not getting the assistance that is vital," she said.
"We're doing everything and we need some assistance to take off the strain.
"It's not the one thing that can ruin mental health but it does add to it."
She said some families in her region had previously employed governesses but had needed to cut back expenses due to the drought.
- Start the day with all the big news in agriculture. Click here to sign up to receive our daily Stock Journal newsletter.
Elizabeth Anderson
Editor of Stock Journal.
Editor of Stock Journal.
