A comparison of behaviour support provisions provided by small rural schools and large urban schools

The provision of resources and services to schools to support teachers and students has been an issue for small rural schools for some time. While most attention has focussed on learning support, behaviour support is now seen as of equal importance. How schools support students with behaviour difficulties is central to Education Queensland's recently revised approach to behaviour management in state schools. The mechanism by which support is provided by schools is the Responsible Behaviour Plan for Students. Through this plan schools are required to identify the type and range of supports, programs and services to students requiring targeted (10-15% of school enrolment) and intensive behaviour support (2-5% of the school enrolment). These supports are expected to include access to a variety of government and community services. This paper explores the challenges facing small rural schools in providing necessary bahaviour support for students who exhibit serious forms of challenging behaviour. Comparisons are made between the supports provided by 10 small rural primary schools and 10 large urban primary schools for students with difficult and challenging behaviour. Differences in the type, number and variety of supports are highlighted, along with a discussion of what these differences mean for the offering of a quality education experience by small rural schools