For more than a decade, Kelly McDonald has put her career on hold to do a job with no pay, no career progression, and requiring no formal qualifications — educating her children.
"Our role is not even classed as an occupation when we put so much time and effort and love into it," she said.
Research from the University of Southern Queensland has found these issues have contributed to the role of a remote education tutor (RET) being an unseen and under-appreciated occupation.
"As a distance ed mum, I really don't have any other work opportunities, not until my youngest has gone away to boarding school," Ms McDonald said.
"Choosing to live where we do, my life priorities have just had to become educating my children.
"To do that successfully, I will need to donate my time and effort to the cause; there's no other way."
University of Southern Queensland researcher Karen Peel said 99 per cent of RETs were women, and either an employee — known as a governess or "govie" — or the mother.
The researchers found only 30 per cent of the participants believed they had a clear pathway to a career, a familiar story to governess Emily Watterson.
She moved 16 hours away from her home to be a governess on a remote cattle station near Alpha, in remote central Queensland, a decision she described as the best of her life.
"I was only meant to come up for six months and then go back to uni and I have never looked back, and I couldn't imagine leaving this place," she said.
Ms Watterson does not have a teaching degree, but has responsibility for three girls: in prep and years 2 and 3.
"I put my whole entire life nearly into this job. I love this job, I love the family, I love the girls … [but] we don't get anything for it," she said.
"Everything that I've learnt and done … I don't get a piece of paper, I don't get any prerequisites if I want to go and teach [study at university].
Leaving education to chance
Dr Peel said a shortfall of RETs in Australia meant some people in the role may not have the skills required.
"Without that credentialling, then it really does leave it to chance, and we don't want to leave the education of our children to chance," she said.
She said work-life balance was also a challenge for the mothers and the governesses.
"Seventy-seven per cent of these people surveyed in the mother's role actually found it overwhelming at times," Dr Peel said.
Ms Watterson agreed it was difficult to achieve an adequate work-life balance.
"You aren't walking away from your job when you go home … the relationship is at all times because you're living at their station with them," she said.
Easier to do it yourself
Ms McDonald had previously employed governesses but said financial and time pressures meant she had to take on the role.
"It's a lot of extra work on us and stress to find the right person that's going to fit in with our job, as it's not just educating, it's also about finding someone that's going to fit into our family and be able to live remotely," she said.
Dr Peel said many families were left with the difficult decision of whether to stay on the property or move to a bigger centre for easier and more affordable access to education.
"The funding [to employ an RET] is questionable and insufficient at the very least," she said.
Kelly McDonald said more recognition and support were crucial to address the shortfalls.
"We need to encourage new people to want to come out west and become the next governess," she said.
"It's such a wonderful and fulfilling opportunity for these people … they just don't know it exists."
She said despite the challenges, seeing her children excel in their education had been the most rewarding job.
"We just love the lifestyle, I love the country, I love what we're doing. I want to raise my children where we are, I want them to appreciate the land," she said.
"You can't get a more important job than educating the future of our country, can you?"
