$4m windfall for grads

Non-profit organisation Teach for Australia will receive $4 million from the state government to support university graduates and encourage them to teach in disadvantaged communities.

The funding will allow Teach for Australia to recruit up to 280 graduates from disciplines outside of education by 2024.

Melbourne-based Teach for Australia has been operating in Western Australia since 2015, providing employment-based pathways for university graduates to become fully qualified teachers.

Students from disciplines including in engineering, mathematics and physics can apply for the program.

Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery said teachers with an in-depth level of expertise in a particular field would be invaluable and inspiring.

She added Teach for Australia had a proven track record in coaching and supporting graduates.

The graduates, known as ‘associates’, will work in secondary schools while also studying for a master of teaching qualification. They need to complete one quarter of the course before becoming fully qualified to teach.

Associates will be appointed to up to 97 schools around WA next year.