Rural schools need more than just connectivity – but that’s a good place to start…

This is because rural schools are often located in areas with a lower socio-economic status due to  being isolated and having lower population density or local economic activity, which is often agriculture-based. On average, rural schools have fewer resources than other schools, fewer staff with expertise in areas such as special needs, STEM or ICT, and less equipment or facilities such as science labs. Rural schools often operate with limited access to hardware, software, support, training and the internet, caused by a lower level of funding, higher costs or the lack of an appropriate offer due to their location. This all means that students in rural schools face obstacles to participating in learning with digital and online learning resources both at school and at home.

Students don’t escape from the overall conditions in which they live; rural families have a lower socio-economic status. On average, rural students show a higher level of truancy and a lower level of study results. They have a lower expectation of accessing higher education and are less likely to complete a university degree.

Teachers in rural schools, especially when they are younger, prefer to move to more urbanised areas with better services and conditions, which makes it difficult for rural schools to attract and retain young, qualified teachers. The remoteness and lack of professional development opportunities are the most significant reasons for teacher shortages in rural areas. The lack of reliable transportation, aging infrastructure, limited extracurricular activities and limited access to health services, counselling or special education resources are all reasons why teachers in rural schools generally have fewer opportunities for networking and professional development.

While in (sub)urban areas the vicinity of a school is an important asset for families, in rural areas the absence of educational perspectives is another potential reason for moving away, on top of the other reasons such as access to health care, public transport, etc.

‘It takes a village to raise a child.’

Community initiatives have demonstrated that relatively small interventions can work. For example, a local cooperative was founded on a small island to bring high-speed internet to the village, including the local administration, the primary school, the local doctor and villagers. The inhabitants gathered the funds to invest in the connection and to train two villagers in maintenance and support. The power of technology now helps people stay connected, helps teachers feel less isolated, acquire additional skills and access online teaching materials, and helps expose learners to new skills and experiences.

This is just one example of what can be done. Fundamental and sustainable solutions require a blend of infrastructural development, community engagement and policy reform to ensure that rural students receive an education that is on par with their urban counterparts. Within Rural Vision, the European Commission has devised a Rural Action Plan as a renewed commitment to rural communities and the development of rural areas. Bringing gigabit connectivity to every school is one of the EU 2025 Connectivity objectives.

However, connectivity is probably the easiest and most tangible of issues to solve. Rural education is a complex and multi-faceted issue that requires multifarious solutions related to professional development opportunities for teachers, access to quality educational materials, school ICT environments, and school-local community or school-to-school collaboration. There is a clear need to combine all these aspects in a holistic approach to make rural education more attractive and effective for learners, teachers, parents and the whole rural community.

‘Learning is never a place, but an activity’, Andreas Schleicher, Director OECD

Mathy Vanbuel has worked as an educational media producer at KU Leuven, as a lecturer in eLearning Design and MultiMedia Management at KHLim and is currently co-director of ATiT. He has worked on educational technology projects for the European Commission, the European Space Agency, the World Bank, GDLN, and in many countries worldwide.