ICPA calls for more government assistance on Geographically Isolated Distance Education Day

Released by the Isolated Children Parents Association, the study revealed that a home tutor will spend 12,000 hours teaching a child through primary school and that 85 per cent of home tutors were mothers.

The study also found home tutors would forgo an average of $230,000 in lost wages as well as $21,000 in superannuation during the period of teaching a child from pre-school to the completion of primary school.

The results come as the 1500 families across the country who participate in distance education were recognised as part of Geographically Isolated Distance Education Day on Thursday.

ICPA Australia president Alana Moller, Star of Hope Station, Clermont, said the organisation was pushing the federal government to offer more assistance to families who had no choice but to educate their kids at home due to geographical isolation.

"There is support on offer from governments when it comes to setting up a classroom or travelling to mini schools and those kind of things," Ms Moller said.

"However, what isn't available is any assistance to the person who has to sit in the school room each and every day.

"Each family has to supply that out of their own pockets and while there is some support through the ASC allowance, there is nothing on offer for the person who is actually teaching the children day in and day out."

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To help rectify the situation, the ICPA is calling on the federal government to offer an allowance to each family of $6000 per annum to remunerate them for their contribution.

"When the COVID-19 pandemic hit many people across the country found out first hand how difficult it can be to educate your children while still trying to work or run your own business.

"In light of that, we feel that most people will understand the challenges and that the momentum is there for the government to make some changes.

"We're not asking for a full wage, we don't expect that because we understand that this is our situation because of where we live and what we do.

"However, we do feel some assistance is needed as a form of acknowledgement of the incredible dedication and commitment families put in to ensure their children get a compulsory education."

Ms Moller's sentiments were echoed by remote outback South Australian mother Gillian Fennell, who took to Twitter to share her experiences of teaching at her home 450km south of Alice Springs and 800km north of Port Augusta.

"For me, I will have been in a school room for 16 years by the time my youngest is ready to go to boarding school," Ms Fennell said.

"That equates to lost wages, or forgone wages, however you'd like to describe it, of $416,256, which is pretty significant.

"Then you add into that superannuation that I'm not going to receive of $43,707 you start to get a brief look at why, primarily women who do this work, are so undervalued and disadvantaged by the structures that are in place."