For the most part, education in Australia is controlled by a state system, operating from state capitals. The majority of schools are in metropolitan areas or centres of about 20,000. But there are many small towns with schools and many are reasonably remote. I have spent time in these regions both as a child and as a teacher.
This book is primarily concerned with the direction of education for country children. The students are either running wild or under too much control, leaving some just plain scared of life. This has been going on for a long time. With staff in rural schools being inadequate and the productivity of students resembling a joke, the problem rests deep inside the educational system...