ICPA to tackle rural education access at national conference in Adelaide

Australia’s peak voice for rural and remote education, The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA), will hold its annual Federal Conference in Adelaide on 30–31 July. The two-day event will bring together more than 200 delegates and guests, including families from across South Australia and the nation, to share lived experiences and shape the organisation’s advocacy priorities for the year ahead.

From crippling boarding costs, the continued lack of recognition of work by distance education supervisors, to unreliable access to digital connectivity, the conference will reveal the daily realities of accessing quality education in the bush, and the growing disparity between rural and city-based students.

ICPA Federal President Louise Martin says Adelaide is a fitting host city, surrounded by rural communities whose students often face the most significant barriers to learning.

“Whether you live in Oodnadatta or outback NSW, the challenges are remarkably similar. Too few local options, long travel distances, patchy connectivity, and exponentially rising costs associated with education,” said Ms Martin.

“Our message is simple; rural and remote children deserve the same educational opportunities as their city peers. We’re calling for immediate investment in the policies and support systems needed to make that a reality.”

“The 2025 Federal Conference is a chance for our most isolated families to be heard directly by those in power; and an opportunity for governments of all levels to act to improve access and outcomes for our most remote families.”

This year’s conference theme, “Education for the heart and the mind,” calls for national solutions to longstanding inequities that continue to disadvantage rural students.

Register here.