Ahead of World Teachers’ Day on Saturday 5 October, Australian Catholic University (ACU) recently launched its new All Points to Teaching (APTT) program, designed to boost employment-based pathways and access to fully funded undergraduate and postgraduate teaching degrees.
The university is already recognised as Australia’s largest provider of initial teacher education and the new APTT program will award an extra 285 students with scholarships to complete a Bachelor of Education (Secondary or Secondary and Special Education) or a Master of Teaching (Secondary) while working in schools across New South Wales and Queensland.
The APTT program is being funded by an $11, 637, 692 Australian Government Department of Education High Achieving Teacher Program grant and a $5, 452, 767 commitment from ACU.
“We have long been leaders in educating high-quality teachers across the country and our new APTT program will further cement this tradition of delivering more 21st Century educators for 21st Century learners,” says ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Zlatko Skrbis.
Game-changing funded program
ACU Executive Dean of Education and Arts Professor Mary Ryan describes the APTT program as a game-changer for the teaching profession, particularly in the face of ongoing workforce shortages.
“Our APTT program is designed to connect low socio-economic and hard-to-staff schools, secondary students and future teachers together from the get-go,” Ryan says.
“The APTT cohort will be placed in schools most in need from the outset while they study their degrees and
receive support from the intensive wraparound scaffolds required for their success and career longevity.”
The fully funded APTT program will start next year with 285 students undertaking the new employment-based pathways between 2025 and 2031.
While they study, students will be paid to work in government, independent and Catholic secondary schools in roles including teacher aides, school learning support officers, and paraprofessionals. They will work as teacher interns in the final year of their studies.
Ryan says the APTT program because it reflects that “studying at university needs to be flexible”.
“ACU has a range of pathways into teaching across all sectors for both undergraduate and postgraduate students,” she told EducationDaily.
“Our All Points to Teaching program is an exciting new option which will provide 285 teaching students with fully funded scholarships to study a Bachelor of Education (Secondary or Secondary and Special Education) or a Master of Teaching (Secondary).
“Not only will they not have to worry about paying for their studies, but they will also earn as they learn by working from the outset in secondary schools across New South Wales and Queensland as teacher aides, school learning support officers, paraprofessionals, and, in their final year of studies, as interns. This will give them a unique and invaluable opportunity to fuse theory and practice.
“The APTT program is also unique in the intensive wrap-around support students will receive while studying for free and earning an income via this employment-based teaching pathway.”
When it comes to the short-term and long-term benefits the program aims to deliver, Ryan says “we not only need but want to see teachers in front of classrooms who reflect our diverse society”.
Celebrating diversity
“An immediate benefit of our APTT program will be just that – an infusion of groups often under-represented in tertiary education and the teaching profession including First Nations students, those from regional, rural, and remote areas, mature-age students, and those with disabilities. This diversity is so important for our profession and young students.
“The APTT program will also help to provide much-needed immediate classroom support for hard-to-staff secondary schools. This will be of enormous benefit to school staff and students.
“Longer-term, those studying under the APTT program will help to replenish the vacancies left in government, independent, and Catholic schools through our national teacher shortage. This is about ensuring we have high-calibre educators in the system with evidence-based knowledge in key disciplines to support our secondary school students.”
Support for study in high-demand disciplines
The APTT students will study high-demand discipline areas including mathematics, English, history, and
geography as part of their online teaching degrees. They will be assigned to one of seven ACU support hubs linked to partner schools, the NSW and Qld governments, several Catholic dioceses and community organisations across each state.
“These ACU-led hubs will incorporate schools, New South Wales and Queensland government representatives, several Catholic dioceses and community organisations to ensure students have access to professional learning and evidence-based practices in areas including advanced classroom management, literacy support, AI, learner diversity and Indigenous culture,” Ryan told EducationDaily.
“APTT students will receive all the support they need to thrive as the education support staff of today and the teachers of tomorrow.”
She believes the delivery of the program reinforces that “there has never been a better time for anyone within the orbit of a school, including current classroom support workers, parent volunteers, Year 11 and 12 students, and those thinking of a career change, to embark on this groundbreaking journey towards a fulfilling and rewarding career”.
“We are offering fully funded scholarships in addition to the opportunity to earn and learn while studying an
engaging and evidence-based degree backed by wraparound support including mentoring and coaching,
academic assistance, in-person intensives, and peer support networks.
“You could literally go straight into a school and make a positive difference in a child’s life from day one.”
Ryan told EducationDaily that “we’ve all seen the headlines – teaching is a challenging profession, and we don’t shy away from that”.
“But the rewards you reap far outweigh this. I truly believe teaching to be a noble profession, a profession in which you are in the privileged position of being able to play an important role in a child’s life as an educator with the skills and passion to help them to learn, grow, and excel both inside and outside the classroom.”
