Queensland Residents draw the attention of the House:  the current forced closure, by the Queensland Department of Education, of community funded, permanent and purpose-built camping facilities at the Schools of Distance Education Campuses in Emerald and Longreach.

These facilities were built by the school families, with the full consent of the Queensland Government and the local governments, to ensure equal access to face-to-face learning for geographically isolated children, medically marginalised children and travelling families.

The mini-school week is vital in providing distance education students with teacher contact, and a minimum exposure to the educational, social and emotional opportunities that every-day classroom activities provide in Queensland’s mainstream day schools. They also allow student families to develop a school community, which is critical to every Distance Education student’s success.

For decades, these community funded facilities have allowed remote students and their families an open, equal and safe opportunity to attend mini-schools. Their closure is inflicting a severe financial penalty on families and the lack of sufficient commercial accommodation is preventing students from attending mini-school.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to: take all action necessary to preserve the accommodation facilities for student, parent and education-related camping during mini-schools and on-campus activities at the Distance Education campuses in Emerald and Longreach.

Further that the House request the Minister for Education expedite the return of students and families to these purpose built, on-site facilities for mini-school in order to minimise further disruption to the education of these isolated children, which the closure has created.