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Govt's boarding school allowance falls short

Author
Christina Campbell,
Publish Date
Sun, 30 Oct 2016, 6:34AM

Govt's boarding school allowance falls short

Author
Christina Campbell,
Publish Date
Sun, 30 Oct 2016, 6:34AM

There are calls for a review of the allowance that helps those living in rural areas send their children to boarding schools.

Federated Farmers wants to see an increase in the allowance given to families with school aged children.

Those who live more than 20 kilometres away from a bus route, or 60 minutes from a school, are entitled to just over $3000 each year to help with boarding school fees.

Education and skills spokesperson Rick Powdrell said the allowance, known as the access barrier, needs to be reviewed because "it is some distance away from the realities of what the costs are for these remote students."

"We are definitely after a review of the access barrier to make it more in line with the real cost of what it is to have a child at at a boarding establishment," he said.

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