Innovative new plans to keep top teachers in classrooms
Published Sunday, 30 November, 2008 at 05:30 AM
Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
Top teaching graduates will be offered scholarships to work at challenging schools as part of an innovative plan to improve outcomes for students.
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford today announced a series of new initiatives in which undergraduate teachers would be offered incentives to take jobs in specialist subject areas, difficult schools or remote locations.
“Recruiting and retaining top teachers is the key to ensuring all Queensland students can access the best possible education, no matter where they live,” Mr Welford said.
“That’s why the Bligh Government is investing in new programs that will help us attract the best graduate teachers and place them in the schools and regions where they are most needed.
“There are shortages of teachers in some subject areas such as manual arts and maths B and C.
“Other positions are difficult to staff, such as those at schools in areas of socio-economic disadvantage or those in rural and remote locations.”
Mr Welford said bonded scholarships would be offered to high-calibre final year undergraduate students to teach in subjects where shortages have been identified, or in challenging and complex schools.
“We will also implement a ‘sister school’ program in partnership with universities to provide graduates with initial teaching experience in a location of their choice,” he said.
“This would be followed by a placement in a difficult-to-staff location with a guaranteed return to their preferred location after an agreed time.
“Boomerang transfers will also be offered, with staff supported to undertake short term placements in challenging locations with a guaranteed return to their preferred location on completion.”
Mr Welford said he hoped these new strategies would also help address a concerning trend of teachers increasingly leaving the profession within four or five years of entering the classroom.
“This is a trend that must be arrested. We need these skilled, experienced and confident teachers to stay in our classrooms, especially those in disadvantaged schools or remote locations,” he said.
“Education is a key area in our Toward Q2 vision for Queensland in 2020. Giving our students the best possible learning environments is an investment in our future.
“We can only achieve this by recruiting and retaining highly skilled teachers and deploying them where they are most needed.”
Media contact: Jo Crompton 0418 758 579
Education and Training Minister Rod Welford today announced a series of new initiatives in which undergraduate teachers would be offered incentives to take jobs in specialist subject areas, difficult schools or remote locations.
“Recruiting and retaining top teachers is the key to ensuring all Queensland students can access the best possible education, no matter where they live,” Mr Welford said.
“That’s why the Bligh Government is investing in new programs that will help us attract the best graduate teachers and place them in the schools and regions where they are most needed.
“There are shortages of teachers in some subject areas such as manual arts and maths B and C.
“Other positions are difficult to staff, such as those at schools in areas of socio-economic disadvantage or those in rural and remote locations.”
Mr Welford said bonded scholarships would be offered to high-calibre final year undergraduate students to teach in subjects where shortages have been identified, or in challenging and complex schools.
“We will also implement a ‘sister school’ program in partnership with universities to provide graduates with initial teaching experience in a location of their choice,” he said.
“This would be followed by a placement in a difficult-to-staff location with a guaranteed return to their preferred location after an agreed time.
“Boomerang transfers will also be offered, with staff supported to undertake short term placements in challenging locations with a guaranteed return to their preferred location on completion.”
Mr Welford said he hoped these new strategies would also help address a concerning trend of teachers increasingly leaving the profession within four or five years of entering the classroom.
“This is a trend that must be arrested. We need these skilled, experienced and confident teachers to stay in our classrooms, especially those in disadvantaged schools or remote locations,” he said.
“Education is a key area in our Toward Q2 vision for Queensland in 2020. Giving our students the best possible learning environments is an investment in our future.
“We can only achieve this by recruiting and retaining highly skilled teachers and deploying them where they are most needed.”
Media contact: Jo Crompton 0418 758 579