HSC SYDNEY BIAS MUST BE OVERCOME

HSC SYDNEY BIAS MUST BE OVERCOME

1st January 1999

The State Government must ensure HSC students outside of Sydney are not disadvantaged by a lack of educational resources, the Shadow Minister for Education and Training Patricia Forsythe said today.

Mrs Forsythe, who is touring the Lismore Electorate with local member Thomas George, said the State Government should not allow Sydney students to maintain an advantage over those in country and regional areas.

"What we need is a fairer distribution of resources for all students in country and regional areas," she said.

"The Minister for Education must explain why there were only three country students on last year's HSC top-performers' list."

Mrs Forsythe said it would be a tragedy for talented students to miss out on educational opportunities simply because they did not live in the city.

"If the Minister for Education ignores this issue, he will be turning his back on country NSW," she said.

"The so-called Country Labor faction should be out fighting to ensure the rights of country students," Mr George said.

"The Carr Government has to urgently address equity issues in education."

Mr George said country students needed to be able to access the same services available to their city peers.

"I am calling for outreach services to be introduced into country areas and for the Government to plough money into re-establishing educational resource centres in regional and country NSW,' she said.

"There also needs to be a greater emphasis placed on continuing staff development."