Reasonable daily access is normally determined by the distance and travel circumstances between the principal family home and the nearest appropriate state school. The guidelines under which a student’s home may be regarded as geographically isolated from a school are described in 4.2. In certain circumstances a student may also be regarded as not having reasonable daily access to school without meeting a geographic isolation rule (see 4.4).
The nearest appropriate state school is normally the appropriate state school which is the shortest distance from the principal family home by accepted travel routes. See 4.1.3 - 4.1.5 for exceptional definitions of nearest appropriate state school.
Where there is more than one appropriate state school within 56 kilometres of the principal family home, the nearest appropriate state school is the school with the nearest available transport service (see 4.2.4).
Example
Bruce’s principal family home is a property on the plains below a mountain range. The nearest school is in a town in the mountains (School A), 30 kilometres from Bruce’s home. The nearest transport service to School A is 20 kilometres away. Students in the plains area normally go to the school in a town on the plains (School B), 40 kilometres away. The nearest bus service to School B is 3 kilometres from Bruce’s home. Although Bruce lives closer to School A, the nearest appropriate state school for AIC purposes is School B. Therefore Bruce is not geographically isolated from School B under the requirements of Rule 2 (see 4.2.1).
The nearest appropriate state school for a tertiary student is the nearest state school that offers the year or grade of secondary schooling that would be appropriate for the student, if they had continued to study at a secondary school.
Where the principal family home is near the border of an adjacent State/Territory:
- and the student attends a school in the home State/Territory, the nearest appropriate state school is regarded as the school meeting the definition set out in 4.1.2 in the same State/Territory as the principal family home (even if there is a closer school in the adjacent State/Territory); or
- the student attends a school in another State/Territory, the nearest appropriate state school is regarded as the school meeting the definition set out in 4.1.2 in either the home State/Territory or the adjacent State/Territory.
The Australian Government relies on the education authorities in each State/Territory to provide an annual list of schools identified as limited programme schools.
A primary or secondary school which is listed as a limited programme school by the State/Territory education authority is not an appropriate state school for a student who is able to enrol at a level that is not available at that school.
For the purpose of AIC, limited programme schools are:
- primary schools where the syllabus and teaching arrangements are specifically geared to cater for the needs of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students.
- secondary schools which:
- do not offer a full range of years or grades; or
- do not provide adequate facilities or programmes to enable a student to gain a Year 12 certificate or tertiary entrance score; or
- have a syllabus and teaching arrangements that are specifically geared to cater for the needs of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander students.