1. Disappearing Rural Schools:
Are We Losing a Fertile
Breeding Ground for
Educational Leaders?
Vince O’Brien
EDU8719 Contemporary Issues Conference

2. Disappearing Rural Schools
This presentation will
explore the following issues:
Changing Declining
Rural schools
Australian number of
are special
economy rural schools
Challenges Educational Preparing for
related to leadership in Leadership
rural schools rural schools roles
The way
forward

3. My Story
o Three years as a classroom teacher in rural
schools.
o Four years as a Teaching Principal in two one-
teacher schools, both now closed.
o Nine years as a Teaching Principal in a two teacher
school.
o Eight years as a classroom teacher in an urban
school with an enrolment of over 1000 children.
o Three years as a Behaviour Support Teacher in both
small and large schools.

4. The
Changing
Australian
Economy
No longer riding on the sheep’s back (Gordon, 2003).
Australia is becoming a knowledge-based economy (Australian Government, 2011).
Moving away from agriculture being the driving force of the Australian economy.
Question concerning the viability of some rural communities (Jones, 2009).

5. Declining
Number of
Total Number of
Rural Schools Australian Schools
2008
Enrolment less than 100
Enrolment more than 100
1814
20%
80%
7330
Australian Bureau of Statistics (2009)

6. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011)

7. Queensland
rural
57 less schools available for inexperienced future leaders.
Queensland. Department of Education and Training (2011a)

8. Rural Schools are Special
The decline of church goers means that schools are more of
the focal point of many rural communities (Wright, 2007).
Rural schools can give people a feeling of identity and
attachment (Harmon & Schafft, 2009).
Rural schools offer facilities for community
meetings, celebrations and sporting events.
Teachers have little choice but to be adaptable and flexible
due to isolation and distances (Halsy, 2011).

9. Challenges Related to Rural Schools
Recruiting and maintaining staff
(Miller, Graham & Paterson, 2006).
Unwilling or unprepared teachers being
thrust into leadership roles
(Graham, Miller & Paterson, 2009).
The effects of personality clashes between
staff or with community members can be
magnified (Farmer, 2009).

10. Educational Leadership in Rural Schools
Seven Principles of Sustainable Leadership and how they can be
implemented in a small rural school.
1-4
Hargreaves and Fink (2003)

11. Educational Leadership in Rural Schools
Seven Principles of Sustainable Leadership and how they can be
implemented in a small rural school.
5-7
Hargreaves and Fink (2003)

12. Preparing for Leadership Roles
Queensland’s Approach
Workforce Capability and Performance Unit
Principal Connect Advisory Service
Mentors for first time Principals
Principal Induction and Resources website
Take The Lead project
Queensland. Department of Education and Training (2011b)

13. The Way Forward
Consider the
effect on a
rural
community
when its
school closes.
Make
professional
development
mandatory
for aspiring
Principals.
Consider the lost
opportunities for
leaders to gain
experience in a unique
environment

14. References
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Schools by size of student enrolments (FTE)-and school affiliation. Retrieved from
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage?4221.02008?OpenDocument
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). 4221.0 - Schools, Australia: NSSC Table 30a: Non-special schools 1996-2010.
Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4221.02010?OpenDocument
Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2011). Australia in brief: A stable and competitive
economy. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from http://www.dfat.gov.au/aib/competitive_economy.html
Farmer, T. (2009). Unique Rural District Politics. Rural Educator, 30(2), 29-33. Retrieved from
http://www.ruraleducator.net/archive/30-2/Farmer.pdf
Gordon J. (2003, July 16). We slid off the sheep's back, now sliding off the land, too. The Age. Retrieved from
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/07/15/1058035006992.html
Graham, L., Miller, J., & Paterson, D. (2009). Early career leadership opportunities in Australian rural schools. Education In
Rural Australia, 19(3), 25-34. Retrieved from
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Early+career+leadership+opportunities+in+Australian+rural+schools.-
a0219589163
Harmon, H. L., & Schafft, K. (2009). Rural School Leadership for Collaborative Community Development. Rural Educator,
30(3), 4-9.
Halsey, R John. (2011). Small schools, big future. Australian Journal Of Education, 55(1), 5-13. Retrieved from
http://research.acer.edu.au/aje/vol55/iss1/2
Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D. (2004). The seven principles of sustainable leadership. Educational Leadership, 61(7), 8-13.
Retrieved from http://www.msde.maryland.gov/NR/rdonlyres/F7D49A8D-E9D0-4C49-9DE6-
3A878BC9F1F4/18748/seven_principles.pdf
Jones, J. (2009). The development of leadership capacity through collaboration in small schools. School Leadership &
Management, 29(2), 129-156. doi:10.1080/13632430902775509
Miller, J., Graham, L., & Paterson, D. (2006). Bush tracks: viewing teachers' experiences of leadership in rural schools
through a contextual lens. Education In Rural Australia, 16(2), 31-45. Retrieved from
http:/​/​search.informit.com.au/​browseJournalTitle;res=​IELHSS;issn=​1036-0026
Queensland. Department of Education and Training. (2011a). Register of recent school openings, closures and name
changes. Retrieved December 17, 2011, from http://education.qld.gov.au/directory/schools/index.html
Queensland. Department of Education and Training. (2011b). School leaders. Retrieved December 26, 2011, from
http://education.qld.gov.au/staff/development/employee/school_leaders/index.html
Wright, K. (2007). Reenergizing small communities: a vital role for rural schools. The Educational Forum, 71(4), 345-360.
doi:10.1080/00131720709335024