Thousands of education students will receive scholarships worth up to $40,000 as part of the federal government’s push to boost the number of teachers across the nation.
The scheme will offer 5000 scholarships to teaching students who begin studying next year, specifically targeting high-achieving school-leavers, mid-career professionals, First Nations people, those from remote or regional Australia, students living with disabilities, and those with English as a second language.
Education Minister Jason Clare says it is a part of Labor’s plan to address the national teacher shortage.
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“Teachers do one of the most important jobs in the world, but we just don’t have enough of them,” he said.
“(The scholarships) will help 5000 of the best and brightest teaching students to complete their studies and begin changing lives in the schools who need it most.”
As part of the $160 million investment, undergraduate students can receive $40,000 over four years, while postgraduates could receive up $20,000 over two years.
However, any scholarship recipient must commit to teaching in government-run schools or early learning settings for at least four years if they are an undergraduate student, and at least two years for postgraduates.
The “commitment to teach” stipulation arose from consultation with school principals and teachers who referred to their own scholarships with similar requirements.
“Tying scholarships to a commitment to teach is an old school idea that will help tackle today’s teacher workforce challenges,” Clare said.
Teaching students who complete their placements in remote communities could receive an additional $2000.
This comes as the government announced its “Be That Teacher” advertising campaign last week that shines a light on the impact teachers can have on students, in order to encourage more people to join the profession.
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