Regional Students

Mr BELL (Mount Gambier) (15:24): I rise to make a few comments and to also congratulate Minister Close on her efforts in supporting a young person in my electorate. As a previous schoolteacher, it is no surprise that for students who want to go on to further education, particularly in a capital city, parents are faced with ongoing costs and barriers and burdens that a lot of city kids and city parents do not have to face because, quite honestly, they still reside normally in their parents' premise, living close to home with support structures, friends and family.

Six weeks ago, I was contacted by local resident Rachel Beavis, whose daughter Mia is currently studying year 12. Mia wants to pursue higher education and is hoping to study a Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science. After speaking with representatives of the University of South Australia, she was informed that, if she was successful in being accepted into the course, the option to defer was not available.

For regional students, the decision to defer a course is not often a choice they can make. They need to defer. The financial pressure of sending your child away to a capital city to live and study often requires the students to take a 12-month break to work to save money, as well as then becoming eligible for the Independent Living Allowance from Centrelink. As Rachel wrote in her letter to me, and I quote:

We, like many others, will be required to pay approximately $500 a week for living, plus day-to-day costs. With the increase in the cost of living and interest rate rises, it is now out of reach for many families who have children who need to go to university to reach their potential. It is like having another mortgage.

As I said, it is no secret that country kids face significant barriers in moving to Adelaide and the financial one is just one of those. We do not think about these barriers until we are faced with them ourselves, and I would like to thank Rachel for bringing this issue to my attention.

I forwarded her correspondence to Minister Close to explain the issue and highlight how country students are further disadvantaged if they are not able to defer their course. I am pleased to say that I received a response from Minister Close yesterday with the news that she had contacted the University of South Australia which has now advised that, as a result of us raising this issue, the program rules will be amended to allow students to defer their place in the Bachelor of Medical Radiation Science.

I would like to thank Minister Close and her team for her timely response and following up this matter and also the University of South Australia for recognising the extra needs of regional students. Whilst there are still many barriers to university for those who have to live away from home, this is a positive step and one that I was not aware of in terms of not being able to defer certain courses.

Finally, I would like to again thank Rachel Beavis for contacting me. It is directly as a result of her letter that all regional students now interested in studying medical radiation science will have the option to defer their studies should they require. I wish her daughter Mia all the best for her future studies and also all regional students who choose to move away from their support structures of family and friends to pursue higher education.

Once they complete their degree, I encourage all students to look at regional areas as their first foray into work life and employment because the benefits of working and living in regional areas are quite numerous. We need country kids returning to the country and supporting their communities long term. Once again, I want to thank the government, in particular Minister Close for her swift action, as well as the University of South Australia for really making this possible for Mia and her family.