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NSW Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association hits the hustings in Sydney
PATIENCE and perseverance is the mantra of
many remote families - even when they’re pushing the barrow in the city.
A determined delegation from the NSW Isolated
Children’s Parents’ Association hit the hustings in
Sydney last week to meet with government ministers, heads of department, and businesses who
could be crucial to bettering education for remote children.
Association president Kate Treweeke - a cattle
farmer at "Narandool" near Lightning Ridge - said this year’s annual delegation was promising, but also
frustratingly familiar.
“There is movement on the horizon,” Mrs Treweeke said.
“But then... it seems there’s always movement on the horizon.
“By the time most things get to us, whether that’s technology or government programs, it’s two or
three years after the cities and regional towns … and what we’re getting is going to need updating anyway.
“So it’s more money being spent and we just wait longer.”
Long and winding road
ICPA NSW has sent an annual delegation to Sydney since the group was founded in Bourke in 1971.
“You go into some meetings - they say, ‘here you are again!’’,” Mrs Treweeke said.
“And we say ‘you’re going to hear the same thing again until something changes’.”
The group has celebrated a few wins in recent years - including a successful push for mandatory seatbelts on school buses.
But victories don’t come easy.
This year councilors sat down with state transport minister Andrew Constance, health minister Jillian
Skinner, disability services minister John Ajaka, and minister for early childhood services Leslie Williams
- as well as their Labor counterparts.
It was a busy week for delegates, who also hit up the Department of Education, Board Of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards, the NSW CWA, the Universities Admission Centre, BusNSW, NSW Parents Council, Teachers Federation, Council of Catholic Schools Parents, Association of Independent
Schools, Telstra, Sisters of Charity, Transport for NSW and Bush Children’s Education Foundation.
“It was a pretty good year actually. People generally look forward to having us visit,” Mrs Treweeke
said.
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