With online education fast becoming part of the norm due to the coronavirus pandemic, rural schools are finally catching up with the city counterparts with a technology boost.
More than 14,000 teachers across 1000 NSW public schools, will soon receive portable devices as part of the Rural Access Gap Program.
Access to real-time data on student progress will give teachers more control over how they plan for classes and enable more tailored and personalised learning opportunities linked to student needs.
Among the first to receive the new technology in a pilot program was Dubbo Public School where principal Debbie Pritchard said the portable devices allowed teachers to readily collect and analyse data in collaboration with colleagues.
Under the program, Dubbo has received 1976 per cent increase in connectivity speed, 43 student devices, 28 dedicated teacher portable devices, 27 new main learning displays (interactive displays) and funding for a Digital Classroom Officer for four terms.
"I have been in the game for over 30 years and technology has been a large part of that, especially in the latter years," Ms Pritchard said.
When they were told their school would also have improved internet speed, Ms Pritchard said it felt like a "whole weight" had been lifted from their shoulders.
"It seems such a little thing, being able to connect to Wi-Fi, but it was such a big deal for us...at last we could access the things that we wanted to access," she said.
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said the Rural Access Gap program connected students and teachers to the best educational resources available through cutting edge learning and teaching technology.
"Our commitment to regional students is that they have equal access to educational resources and modern equipment, no matter where they live," Ms Mitchell said.
Ms Mitchell said more than 30,000 devices, including laptops and video-conferencing facilities, would be added to the network as part of the first round, with more to follow.
"This means that teachers in our regions will have the tools, training and support they need to deliver lessons in ways not possible before. And for students, they are getting access to an education without boundaries," Ms Mitchell said.
"I've heard from teachers who have said this technology has changed their lives and making great teaching easier to deliver."
The technology upgrade for all regional schools in NSW is ahead of schedule, with stages two and three of the historic $365.8 million Rural Access Gap program underway.
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