By ERWIN CHLANDA
Six young women became fully qualified primary school teachers while living and working in their outback communities.
They completed their four-year Bachelor of Education degree online in a teaching initiative of Curtin University and the WA Department of Education.
A similar program is offered in the NT, facilitated by Charles Darwin University and Batchelor Institute which are represented in Alice Springs.
The Teacher Registration Board of the Northern Territory registers teachers from other jurisdictions, including Western Australian. They must hold registration in the other jurisdiction and “be of good standing”.
The Curtin program was established for Indigenous staff working in classroom support roles in regional and remote areas, according to a media release.
Students were invited to attend on-campus workshops at the beginning of each trimester to be introduced to staff and new units of study.
They were allocated specialist support staff throughout their studies to assist with course enquiries and help refer students to a variety of university support services.
University staff also visited students to provide face-to-face academic support.
Project Lead Associate Professor Graeme Gower said the program addressed a major gap in the workforce: “Only two per cent of teachers in Australia are Indigenous — which drops to just 1.2 per cent in WA.”
Curtin is WA’s largest university, with close to 60,000 students.
In addition to the University’s main campus in Perth, Curtin also has a major regional campus in Kalgoorlie, and a campus in Midland, as well as five global campuses in Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai, Mauritius and Sri Lanka.
Curtin is ranked in the top one per cent of universities worldwide.
PICTURED from left are Professor Harlene Hayne, Professor Rhonda Oliver, Associate Professor Graeme Gower, Ronita Bradshaw (One Arm Point / Ardyaloon), Tara-Anne Rangi (Geraldton), Brianna Taylor-Ellison and Samantha Little (both Derby), Leanne Eades (Katanning), Jacqueline Hunter (One Arm Point / Ardyaloon), Sophie Benson and Emeritus Professor Simon Forrest. GFP Events.