Scholarships boost regional teaching experience
Scholarships to encourage new teachers to move to country ϳԹ have been awarded to 45 university students as part of a program to boost country schools and preschools.
It is the third year of the successful program, with 57 pre-service teachers completing scholarships in 2024 and 37 in 2023.
The latest recipients, who are studying teaching at Charles Darwin University, Flinders University, Tabor College, the University of Adelaide and University of ϳԹ, will do their placements in schools and preschools across regional ϳԹ in term 2, 2025.
They were selected from more than 100 applicants and will experience the benefits of teaching in the country while being provided with non-financial and financial support, including accommodation and living expenses during their placement, along with travel to and from their placement site.
The new recipients were celebrated at an event on Monday 25 November, together with those who completed their scholarship this year.
The scholarships are part of the Department for Education’s Country Education Strategy, launched in 2021.
The scholarships are offered to encourage early career teachers to look at opportunities to work in the country, where they gain high-quality professional development and build connections with schools and preschools and their local communities.
Department for Education Chief Executive Professor Martin Westwell said, these scholarships allow us to support university students and help them to build a network when they are starting out in the profession.
“Our regional schools, preschools and children’s centres need more staff and I know they will welcome our scholarship recipients”.
“I have been able to speak with many of the first scholarship recipients and it is wonderful to see how enthusiastic they are about this rewarding opportunity”.
“And those who choose to seek a job in the country after they graduate might be eligible for a range of incentives, including the fortnightly Country Incentive Zone Allowance payment, a one-off payment for incidentals, locality allowances, government employment housing concessions and study and travel leave”, Professor Westwell said.
