Availing Rural Schools Facilities and Teaching - Assignment Example

Public schools are integral institutions with various facilities, which belong to the community. While their chief function is to serve as a learning center for our young generation, there are various occasions the buildings, grounds, and other supporting facilities are not in use or with appropriate arrangement, even during learning they can be suited to accommodate external activities.

In allowing the utilization of these said facilities and teaching materials & equipment, the Department of Education and Children’s Services will be playing its extended role of not only educating the rural children but also contributing to community empowerment and thereby enhancing the schools’ reputation/ social legitimacy among the host communities as the direct or indirect financiers and owners of these facilities.

There is a significant number of Australians who reside in the rural areas of the country. From a comparative basis, urban areas are well equipped with social facilities as compared to rural areas. However, just as their urban counterparts, this segment of the population equally requires standard services as the rest.

All past governments and the current one have sworn to reduce the regional development disparities between the urban dwellers and the rural dwellers.

In order to create a balanced and strong economy where development is spatially spread evenly across the country, rural schools offer an entry platform where the local communities are allowed to utilize the school facilities and learning materials such as a library, halls/ auditoriums, and playgrounds. This possible sharing of resources constitutes an inter-phase of strengthening community partnership and linkage with schools.

There are hosts of opportunities for community utilization of school facilities. For instance use of school halls, recreational facilities, sharing of libraries & resource centers, sharing sporting facilities, and the possibility of using open and built spaces for activities such as aged holiday programs or Out of School Hours Care services (OSHC).