New NT training program aims to attract and keep home tutors at remote stations

Sunday 7 DecemberSun 7 Dec 2025 at 9:06pm

A teacher holds her finger to her lips to hush the children sitting before her on the ground. Two young women sit on the ground. — More than 350 students across the Northern Territory need a home tutor. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)

In short:

Eight home tutors from central Australia have been studying the Gateway for Home Tutors in Isolation training program this year.

It is hoped that the new course for remote home tutors will help recruitment and retention of people in the hard-to-fill role.

What's next?

The Northern Territory Isolated Children's Parents Association is hopeful that more home tutors will take up the training in future years.

A course offered for the first time this year has upskilled home tutors working on remote central Australian cattle stations in a bid to ease education workforce shortages in the outback.

The Northern Territory Isolated Children's Parents Association (ICPA) worked with Charles Darwin University to develop the Gateway for Home Tutors in Isolated Areas vocational training program.

ICPA NT publicity officer Kiya Gill said the course was tailor-made to suit the needs and skills required of home tutors, including first aid, four-wheel-driving and food handling.

A woman with short brown hair and a black blouse smiles at the camera. — Kiya Gill says home tutors are vital in the Northern Territory's agriculture industry. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)

"We wanted to develop this program initially so that home tutors were getting more out of their gap year in the bush, so there was an opportunity for them to walk away with some core skills," she said.

"It gives them on-the-ground skills and experience that they can then use to create pathways into different opportunities."

Ms Gill, who also runs Jervois Station about 350 kilometres north-east of Alice Springs, said she hoped the training program would make it easier for remote families like hers to recruit and retain home tutors.

Two women sit among a group of children in red and blue shirts. — Home tutors Tarah More and Indi Harding completed a placement as part of their study. (ABC Alice Springs: Xavier Martin)

"It's really difficult to employ home tutors because there's just a huge shortage of them across our remote classrooms," she said.

"We have more than 350 students in the Northern Territory that require home tutors — we have more students than home tutors."

Ms Gill said that because the training program took students about 12 months to complete, they were more likely to stick around for the full school year, but the training could also be a pathway for tutors to transition into classroom school teachers.

Home tutors 'vital' part of rural communities

Tarah More, home tutor at Mount Dennison Station, about three hours north-west of Alice Springs, said the training was valuable for more than the skills it taught.

"The course is helpful, because I've put in this time and now I'll have something to show for it at the end," she said.

A blonde haired lady in a black blouse stands on a green lawn with trees and a building in the background. — Tarah More says it is good to have qualifications to show for her work as a home tutor. (ABC Alice Springs: Victoria Ellis)

Home tutor Indi Harding was pleased the course gave her formal recognition for the skills she had developed over the past three years at Wintinna Station in South Australia.

"It's just helpful if you move on to another job," she said.

The young women are two of eight home tutors in central Australia who have been completing the course, offered for the first time this year.

A young woman leans against a gum tree, she's wearing a white blouse, skirt and black glasses. — Indi Harding has been the home tutor at South Australia's Wintinna Station for three years. (ABC Alice Springs: Victoria Ellis)

Ms Gill said she hoped participation would grow across the Northern Territory and wider Australia because home tutors played an important role in supporting rural communities.