Kathryn Gallaher

Assessment Item One

As a teacher, it is paramount to ensure children are receiving the best education
possible so they are able to develop, grow and learn to their full potential. Many
issues can have an affect on the way a child learns and one of these factors includes
sociological issues such as ethnicity, religion, socio economic status, and location.
These issues are prevalent throughout the world and are often seen as major issues in
the education of children. Location is a current sociological issue that has impacted
learning all over the world, including, but not limited to Australia. Within the location
of education facilities, the issue of socio economic status (SES), is intertwined and
can bare impact as well.

Location focuses on the educational facilities that may be at a disadvantage due to the
rural nature or lack of resources available to aid in the development and learning of
children. A child living in a small community may be educated at a school with
limited classes, often not separated into single grades but combined. This would
usually result in a small school involving one class for all the pupils regardless of age
or learning abilities, with one, maybe two educators. In some cases children that
attend schools in rural or remote areas are taught differently based on the SES that is
relevant to that particular area. Schools that are in areas heavily populated with people
suffering from poverty may focus on survival skills that the children may need in
order to help the community that they live in survive.

One of the major impacts that location can have on a childs education is smaller
schools. This may cause a disadvantage for children being educated in a school with
one or two staff members and a class that ranges with children from age to learning
experiences and previous knowledge and understandings. A child may be
disadvantaged by the fact that a teacher may not have the time to accommodate all
learners and may give the class general lessons. This may impact older children as
they are repeating and not advancing in their learning and development, as well as
affecting younger children as they may be skipping basic teachings that are important
in their education and development.

Children that are educated in remote or rural areas may be unable to access many
resources that could enhance their education and development. A child may suffer
with their education and social skills if they are unable to experience and create ways
of exploring new ideas and concepts that are freely available in more populated areas
such as cities or bigger towns/communities. If a child is situated in a very remote area
a child may be required to be home schooled and may not develop the social skills
needed for everyday life as well as gain new experiences that will enhance their
learning and development. Children in these situations may be disadvantaged due to
the differences in learning abilities and resources that would aid in their development.

Marsh (2010) believes that the environment can have a huge impact on a childs
behavior. This means that educators need to adjust their classroom to allow a child to
be comfortable and feel safe. The location of a school may be a disadvantage due to
minuscule issues such as climate or surroundings. If a child is uncomfortable or feels
unsafe, it is likely that they may act out in frustration, causing a negative impact on
their ability to concentrate and participate in learning experiences that will allow them
to develop to their full potential.

If a child lives in an area where poverty is a large issue, the children may be schooled
in a way that would allow them to help their community survive. By being taught
skills that will help the community such as fetching water, learning to cook, and look
after a household, future generation will most likely be unable to help break the cycle
of poverty. Certain attitudes and behaviors that are displayed in some communities
can often have a large impact on a childs education. Many cultures believe that the
men should receive and education so they are able to support there families while the
girls traditionally learn to stay at home and run the household.

Woolfolk and Margetts (2010) believe that children being educated in remote or rural
areas that lack resources, are more likely to be considered at risk, while employing
non-productive coping strategies and higher levels of distress (Woolfolk and
Margets, 2010).

Focusing primarily on Australia, the education system will benefit greatly with the
introduction of the national curriculum. This will allow children all over the country,
in the remotest of areas to experience and have the opportunities to learn in the same
way a child in a well-populated area that may have access to more resources.

Todays technology allows children anywhere to interact, research and explore
completely new ideas and topics. Having these resources in schools that are based in
rural areas allows children to gain better understanding and enhance their learning
experiences.

The Council of Australian Governments (2012) has taken initiative by ensuring that at
the end of 2013 children in remote areas (Indigenous communities) are given they
resources and ability to receive an early education as they feel that this is paramount
in reducing the disadvantage due to location. This will allow children that live in
remote or rural areas to gain access to resources that will help them develop and grow
to their full potential. An Australian government organization, End the Cycle (2012)
focuses on ending the cycle of poverty. This will be enhanced by a childs education,
as they are able to gain knowledge and experience that will allow them to live and
succeed the community.

Through the use of modern technology, government and organization campaigns,
children that may suffer a disadvantage in their educational experiences because of
the rural or remote area they live should be able to receive a better quality education
that will limit the disadvantage they may suffer and give them equal opportunities in
education.













References

Australian Government. (2012). End the cycle of poverty and disability. Retrieved
April 7, 2013, from http://www.endthecycle.org.au/
Council of Australian Governments. (2012). Closing the gap in indigenous
disadvantage. Retrieved April 7, 2013, from
http://www.coag.gov.au/closing_the_gap_in_indigenous_disadvantage
Marsh, C. (2010). Becoming a teacher: Knowledge, skills and issues (5thed.). Frenchs
Forest, NSW: Pearson Australia.
Woolfolk, A., & Margetts, K. (2010). Educational Psychology (2
nd
ed.). Frenchs
Forest: NSW: Pearson Education