A newly-formed education policy unit in NSW says it will improve opportunities for rural students. 

The New South Wales Department of Education has announced the formation of the Regional, Rural and Remote Education Policy Unit.

Speaking to the Isolated Children's Parents' Association (ICPA) this week, the unit’s executive director Ben Ballard said efforts are underway to give children in country areas better access to education.

“I've lived and worked all my life in rural schools,” Mr Ballard said. 

“I'm rural born and bred, from a large family, and I'm a proud Aboriginal person [who is] passionate about creating opportunities for rural and remote students.”

Children living in isolated communities of NSW are often hours from the nearest state school. There are just three public schools that offer boarding facilities, making private boarding schools the sole option for many.

Some cannot afford private schooling, while others do not want to leave their communities to attend a boarding school. 

The federal 2022-23 budget included $10.9 million for a Commonwealth Regional Scholarship Program, which should help low-income regional families cover boarding school fees. However, this does not address the disconnection from home that many boarders experience. 

Mr Ballard said there are a lot of separate aspects that need to be addressed. 

“My agenda is probably how we can work across government to bring all those pieces together,” he said.

“We want to be able to broaden our reach to allied health, the department of regional NSW, to bring about a greater system change for rural New South Wales.”