The Malinauskas Labor Government is rolling out $2 million in teaching scholarships to get more women teaching STEM and more male primary school teachers – as well as other underrepresented groups into the teaching profession.
The scholarships are a key election commitment aimed at supporting some of the best and brightest students to enrol in teaching degrees.
The State Government will award 400 scholarships worth $5000 over the next four years to strengthen and diversify the teaching profession in South Australia.
The Enabling Educator Excellence (E3) scholarships are to help with the costs of starting a teaching degree and will be awarded in four categories:
*Women in STEM
*High ATAR or GPA
*Aboriginal people
*Men in primary school teaching.
Enabling women in STEM will help propel the skilled workforce needed following last week’s AUKUS announcement.
The scholarships will be delivered in partnership with South Australia’s three public universities – The University of Adelaide, University of South Australia and Flinders University – with 100 scholarships to be rolled out each year.
The scholarships are part of the Malinauskas Labor Government’s Seven Point Plan for Teaching Quality, which seeks to address issues related to quality and specialisation in teaching, employment certainty and regional attraction.
Further information about the scholarships will be promoted by the universities to students soon.
Quotes
Attributable to Susan Close
The Malinauskas Government is committed to creating a diverse and strong teaching cohort in South Australia, and these scholarships will play an important role in this.
I am proud to be delivering on this election commitment to support some of our best and brightest students enrolled in teaching degrees.
Attributable to Blair Boyer
We need to ensure that talented people from diverse backgrounds consider teaching, not only as a rewarding career path for themselves, but also to ensure our children and young people are set up for their own promising future.
There are few careers that offer as much as an opportunity to make a difference in young people’s lives – and teaching is one of those professions.
We have an enormous opportunity to come together and take genuine, national action to tackle workforce shortages in education and I am excited to work collaboratively with the Deputy Premier and our three universities to get more South Australians into teaching.
Attributable to University of Adelaide Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Peter Høj AC
The University of Adelaide is proud to be preparing the next generation of great teachers to educate South Australians for years to come.
Our Bachelor of Teaching and Master of Teaching degrees equip graduates with the job-ready skills and content knowledge needed for secondary students to flourish.
Quality teachers are vitally important to the future success of our state and any initiative that encourages more students to take up teaching should be applauded.
Attributable to University of South Australia Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Lloyd
UniSA has always been at the heart of teacher education in South Australia. We’re thrilled to be partnering with the South Australian Government to deliver world-class teaching graduates in priority areas.
Quality teachers are the driving force behind a quality education.
These scholarships will ensure that UniSA continues to attract exceptional students from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences, who will meet the needs of the modern classroom.
Attributable to Flinders University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Stirling
These scholarships are a great initiative that will help students achieve their aspiration to study at Flinders University and become the highly skilled and job-ready teachers of the future.
Teaching is a highly respected profession around the world, and this initiative will ensure talented people from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to consider it as an option
