We believe all students, regardless of where they live, should have access to quality education. The NSW Nationals value investing in improved education outcomes from childcare level right through schooling to vocational and tertiary learning.
Affordable and quality education is a key driver to keeping families in and attracting new residents to regional NSW. We know families gravitate towards communities with stable and well-resourced learning environments for their children, which is why we have invested heavily in improving school and childcare facilities, professional development and ensuring distance and remote learning are not abandoned.
Education is a cornerstone of developing a progressive, innovative, and prosperous state and this opportunity must be provided to all Australians. The NSW Nationals in Government have invested significantly in the regional education sector to allow students to grow and flourish and set up a solid foundation to pursue careers they choose.
Investing in schools
The NSW Nationals in Government are delivering 4600 new teachers across NSW, and we are ensuring we get our fair share recruited into regional and rural NSW. This multi-billion-dollar investment will lift the number of teachers in public schools to the highest in the state’s history.
Led by our Education Minister, we are pouring billions of dollars’ worth of investment into building new schools, upgrading existing schools and wiping the slate clean on the school maintenance backlog.
Having laid the bricks and mortar, and built shiny new school halls and classrooms, the NSW Nationals in Government are ready to fill our schools with the best and brightest teachers, ready to shape the lives of the next generation.
Teachers are at the heart of our communities, and our children spend a huge part of some of the most critical years of their lives learning from them, improving their lives and the lives of their friends. With the NSW Nationals delivering more teachers, our children will take advantage of the increased time these teachers will be able to spend with every student.
We have established the highest entry requirements for teachers and require our teachers in public schools to meet the most rigorous standards. We are also reviewing the curriculum to better focus on the basics of literacy and numeracy.
With the most effective professional development, the NSW Nationals are delivering the quality and quantity of teachers to make a powerful impact on the youngest lives in our regions.
Expanding TAFE
The NSW Nationals in Government want to allow more regional, rural, and remote students to get a job and get ahead by building new TAFE campuses.
TAFE campuses are the beating hearts of our country communities and provide essential access to the education and training people need to enter the workforce or score their next promotion.
Since 2017 The Nationals have delivered more than a dozen new or upgraded campuses in rural and regional NSW.
Free courses for the regions
The NSW Nationals in Government are making it easier, cheaper and more accessible for this generation and the next to get the training they need for a good job to support a great lifestyle into the future.
In this term of government, the NSW Nationals are offering almost 700,000 free courses, adding on to our successful free apprenticeship program and free courses for disadvantaged students, with free traineeships and free TAFE courses for mature aged workers.
Country University Centres
The NSW Nationals believe that no matter where you live in NSW, everyone should have the right to top-quality higher education.
To date, access to university education in regional and remote areas has been heavily reliant on distance education, resulting in dominant economic migration and a ‘brain drain’ from our regions.
One of the biggest challenges faced by regional and remote students is the absence of a campus environment and its associated support and benefits.
The NSW Nationals in Government have already invested millions into seven Country University Centres across regional NSW, and we have announced funding for five more Country University Centres across regional and remote NSW.
These centres deliver supported learning to students, providing them with access to campus-level technology, facilities, tutors, supportive administrative and academic staff, and a network of fellow students and local industry.
We are ensuring even more regional students get the choice to live at home close to their family and friends whilst also undertaking the further education of their choice, rather than having to move for study.
As well as the personal benefits for students, these new centres will reduce the number of young people needing to leave regions to city areas and allow local businesses to access local people with appropriate qualifications to meet their needs.
