Australia has one of the most highly mobile populations in the Western World and yet there is very little awareness or appreciation of the social and educational impact of the phenomenon in this country. School personnel are particularly culpable in this regard, maintaining an image of schooling as a system focussed on relatively stable class groups. The available data, however, paint a very different picture, and one which compels not only the attention of educators but a variety of individuals from the helping professions and welfare agencies.This article explores the nature of student mobility and its effects on children. Particular attention is given to support programs for mobile children with the focus on policy development, remedial instruction, and counselling.
The dynamic nature of Australia's population is a significant demographic feature of Australian life and yet it is not widely recognized or appreciated by the community at large or by the country's policy makers. As with other highly mobile populations in developed countries around the world, there exists an illusion of stability in both the work-place and in domestic life (Settles, 1993).
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