Canowindra girl Amanda recently qualified as a teacher following a four year course at Charles Sturt University.

Ms Wyburn and a some of her country colleagues have an edge on the thousands of education graduates produced by Australian universities seeking employment in country schools each year.

She recently completed a 10 week practical course at Cumnock Primary School, a small school north of Molong.

That practical course was the final requirement for Ms Wyburn to complete her university degree in primary school teaching.

Ms Wyburn said that she had loved working in a small town setting and believed the experience had been unbeatable.

Western region schools are not at the top of the wish list for many graduate teachers, but Ms Wyburn said she would be thrilled to work in a small community again.

“I was one of the first pract students they’d had for a while. I had so much fun.

“I’d love to be in a small school, and a small community, ” she said.

Cumnock is a town of just several hundred people, with slightly more than a dozen children at the local primary school.

Ms Wyburn’s time at Cumnock was sponsored by the Foundation for Renewal, through an education grant of $500.

The grants are available for drought affected areas, and are sponsored by individuals and businesses.

That’s helpful while “you’re not getting paid to do the prac. We’re doing 10 weeks work, and not getting paid,” Ms Wyburn said.

The assistance proved invaluable enabling Ms Wyburn to travel between Molong, where she was staying, and Cumnock.