The Regional Queensland Council of Mayors is looking forward to working with the first Regional Education Commissioner to ensure regional residents have the same education and employment pathways as south-east Queenslanders.
Chair of the Regional Queensland Council of Mayors (RQCOM), Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson, has met with the first Regional Education Commissioner, Fiona Nash.
Mayor Greg Williamson said his meeting with Ms Nash showed great promise for the role of Regional Education Commissioner.
“This was an important step in having the voice of regional Queenslanders heard in the south,” he said.
Mayor Williamson will chair a forum for key Regional Queensland Mayors in April to hear from the Commissioner about her role and to provide an opportunity for the Commissioner to hear first-hand the impacts of education shortcomings on regional Queenslanders.
“It’s a travesty that regional Australians are less than half as likely to obtain a university degree by age 35 compared to those in metropolitan areas,” he said.
“The Commissioner’s plan to halve that gap by 2030 is a good start and I’m determined that regional Queensland people are involved in that process.”
Ms Nash said she would be a champion for regional, rural and remote education, working with stakeholders across sectors to ensure all Australians can access and benefit from a high-quality education, regardless of where they live.
She said her role would have a broad remit across regional, rural and remote student education from early childhood education to tertiary education to improve regional education outcomes
Regional Queensland Council of Mayors Executive Committee
