Beyond the ATAR: Why Rural Schools Need a Different Blueprint for Success

As I've traveled through outer metropolitan and regional schools throughout the last 12 months, a consistent narrative has emerged from my conversations with teachers and leaders. They're working tirelessly to provide quality education, but they're battling against a system designed with an urban, university-focused mindset. Recent research by Collie et al. (2026) confirms what these educators have known intuitively: rural and regional students approach education differently, and our one-size-fits-all approach is failing them.

The Rural-Urban Education Divide Isn't Just About Resources

According to Collie et al. (2026) there are five distinct education intention profiles among students, regardless of their location: Completer-University, Completer-VET, Completer-Undecided, Uncertain-VET, and Noncompleter-VET. What's fascinating is how these profiles distribute differently across geographic areas. In city schools, 57% of students fall into the Completer-University profile, compared to just 40% in rural areas (Collie et al., 2026). Meanwhile, profiles focused on VET pathways are more prevalent in rural settings. This isn't a deficit, it's a different reality. Rural students are often responding to local job markets and community needs, yet our education system continues to privilege university pathways as the ultimate measure of success.

It appears the challenge is not about resources alone, it is about relevance. As one rural principal told me, "We're constantly being asked to implement programs designed for schools with 20+ VCE teachers, when we have three teachers covering multiple subjects." Rural schools face significant challenges in meeting the diverse learning needs and interests of their students. They try to provide applied learning and VET pathways for post-secondary options, while also supporting students pursuing an ATAR for university entry with limited teachers. Delivering this breadth of education, and ensuring access to qualified teachers, can be complex for both educators and learners.

The Teaching Support Paradox

The research highlights something critical: perceived teaching support plays a stronger role in completion intentions among rural students. Yet, these same schools report lower levels of teaching support compared to their urban counterparts. This creates a cruel irony, where support is most needed, it is often least available. Rural teachers face unique challenges: smaller teams to share workload, limited access to tailored professional development, and the constant tension between administrative demands and student support needs.

As I have worked with schools to develop curriculum compliance systems, policy and vision statements, I've witnessed teachers juggling the intense pressure of VCE requirements while trying to serve students with diverse aspirations. The regimented approach that works in urban settings often falls flat in rural contexts where class sizes are smaller, teacher expertise is spread thinner, and students' future pathways may not align with traditional academic routes.

The problem is not VET itself; rather, it reflects the broader complexity facing rural schools. On one hand, we see how non-university pathways are positioned within our educational hierarchy. Too often, a binary system emerges where university-bound students receive the bulk of resources and attention, while those interested in VET pathways are treated as an afterthought. On the other hand, funding follows enrollment numbers, meaning larger metropolitan schools in growth corridors thrive, even while managing teacher shortages. In rural schools, this structural disadvantage is magnified.

It seems this is exactly where we need to reimagine what success looks like. A school's vision needs to be holistic enough to support success for every student, rather than catering solely to those who thrive under the intense demands of traditional academic pathways like the VCE. Is this about reimagining timetables or what face to face learning looks like? Perhaps both.

The Applied Learning Solution

One approach I have implemented successfully in rural settings is integrating applied learning pedagogies in Junior Secondary similar to VCE/VM. Rather than waiting until Year 10 to address different pathways, this approach scaffolds learning behaviors and attitudes over time through practical, hands-on experiences. 

The beauty of this approach is its flexibility. It works alongside traditional academic pathways while providing meaningful alternatives for students who might otherwise disengage. Applied learning connects education to community and workplace contexts, making learning relevant regardless of a student's post-school aspirations.

In one rural school, we developed a program where students worked on community projects while developing literacy, numeracy, and critical thinking skills. Some students transitioned to university pathways, others to apprenticeships, but all left with a sense of purpose and capability.

Building Sustainable Systems for Rural Contexts

While I believe there is value in reimagining timetables and the overall structure of face-to-face learning, including blended learning approaches, the resources needed to support this reform are not currently available. In the meantime, one practical way forward is to develop systems that are sustainable in rural contexts. This means:

1. Curriculum that adapts to teacher expertise: Rather than trying to offer every VCE subject, schools can design integrated programs that leverage their teachers' strengths while meeting outcomes.
2. Assessment that values multiple pathways: Creating assessment structures that recognize and value applied learning alongside traditional academic assessment.
3. Governance that empowers local decision-making: School leadership structures that allow for context-specific approaches rather than imposing urban models on rural settings.
4. Professional development that is tailored and ongoing: Moving away from one-size-fits-all PD toward sustained, context-specific support that builds capacity over time.

The Middle Ground We Need

Finding the middle ground does not mean lowering standards; it means broadening our definition of excellence. A student who becomes a skilled tradesperson through a VET pathway is every bit as successful as one who goes on to university.

In my previous career as an academic, I taught across pathway diplomas, undergraduate degrees and postgraduate programs. I understand that a one-size-fits-all approach to learning does not serve every student. For some, leaving school after Year 11 to pursue an early tertiary-entry pathway leading to a diploma or undergraduate degree is a better fit than completing Year 12. However, when students leave school early, schools can also lose funding.

Having worked in both tertiary and secondary education, I have seen firsthand that there are many pathways to success. The challenge is ensuring our schools have the resources and flexibility to help every student find the path that is right for them, not only those who fit the traditional academic mould.

What is do able, is a shift from compliance-driven education to purpose-driven learning. When schools focus on developing students' capabilities and connections to community, rather than simply preparing them for standardised tests, everyone benefits.

Moving Forward

The research by Collie and colleagues gives us empirical backing for what rural educators have known for years: context matters, and different students need different pathways to success. As we move forward, let us embrace the diversity of educational intentions that exist across our communities. Let's build systems that support all students to find their path, whether that leads to university, VET, or other meaningful destinations.

The future of rural education depends on our ability to create systems that are designed for rural contexts, not despite them. By doing so, we can improve completion rates but more importantly, we will create educational experiences that prepare all students for meaningful lives and careers in their communities.

I think strong partnerships between schools, families, local employers, training providers, and community organisations are essential to making these pathways visible and achievable. When students can connect classroom learning with real opportunities in their region, they are better able to see a future for themselves close to home or beyond it. Collaborative planning, reimagining timetables and school systems to accommodate this vision, can help schools offer meaningful work experience, mentoring, career guidance, and flexible learning options that reflect local industries and community priorities.

Reference

Collie, R. J., Martin, A. J., Le, A., & Flesken, A. (2026). Education intention profiles: Perceived teaching support as a predictor and associations with school completion. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 86, Article 102488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2026.102488