Scholarships to boost specialist teacher numbers

The Bligh Government will offer scholarships for up to 100 state school teachers to meet the demand for specialist teachers, especially in rural and remote areas.

Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said the $600,000 program would encourage teachers to become specialists and existing specialist teachers to upgrade their qualifications.

“These scholarships will improve teachers’ employment opportunities and further expand Queensland’s base of highly qualified educators,” Mr Welford said.

“There is a high demand for specialist teachers in the areas of special education, industrial technology, senior maths and senior science.

“The scholarships, valued at up to $6000 each, will cover the course costs for new graduates and teachers to undertake a graduate certificate course next year.

“We are targeting new graduates who want to expand their teaching skills and experienced teachers who want to refresh their skills and move into a new phase of their career.”

The scholarships follow a successful $140,000 pilot program in June that recruited 35 teachers to undertake special education qualifications.

Mr Welford said the program would help get more primary school teaching graduates into the classroom by allowing them to specialise in areas of demand or by creating primary teaching vacancies left by experienced teachers who wanted to specialise.

“For example, if a primary school classroom teacher wants to become a high-school maths teacher, they can undertake this study and be qualified to move into a new position,” he said.

“High demand teaching areas vary across the state.

“Schools and regions will assess immediate and future demand to ensure we have the specialists we need to give Queensland students the best possible education, regardless of where they live.

“New teachers will need to select a high demand teaching area and nominate the region or regions where they would prefer to teach.

“Queensland universities will offer the courses, mostly externally or online. The teachers will gain a Graduate Certificate qualification which articulates to half of a Masters Degree.”

Scholarship information can be accessed via the Department of Education, Training and the Arts website: www.education.qld.gov.au or by calling 3235 4918. Applications close on 14 November.

Media contact: Marnie Stitz or Emma Clarey on 3237 1000