While a recent statewide deal on a wage hike for teachers aims to attract more people into the profession, an ongoing local initiative is ramping up efforts to get more of those potential teachers out to the regions.
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According to the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Armidale, student teachers from the city are chomping at the bit for final-year placement opportunities in Tamworth to get a taste of life in the bush.
"I'm so lucky that my university has a strong connection with Armidale Catholic Schools. I have always wanted to do a placement in rural NSW and they have made it happen. I would recommend this experience to anyone," student teacher Alexandra Egan said.
The young educator-in-training studies at the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) in Sydney, and has just finished a placement at St Nicholas Primary School in East Tamworth.
"I am so lucky St Nicholas has given me the independence to take classes on my own and feel more in control of my teaching journey which is different to what some of my peers are experiencing in bigger city schools," Ms Egan said.
![Notre Dame student teachers Molly Hayes and Alexandra Egan with director of Armidale Catholic Schools Chris Smyth at St Nicholas Primary School in East Tamworth. Picture supplied by the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Armidale Notre Dame student teachers Molly Hayes and Alexandra Egan with director of Armidale Catholic Schools Chris Smyth at St Nicholas Primary School in East Tamworth. Picture supplied by the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Armidale](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/e1b18069-62ba-4f47-b6d7-e4a85f97773f.JPG/r0_0_6000_3373_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
The Armidale Catholic Schools system has been fostering partnerships with Sydney universities such as UNDA and Australian Catholic University for some time to boost hard-to-staff areas.
Training and placement programs in rural areas have been shown to have a positive impact on attracting and retaining graduates, and the Catholic Schools Office's director of schools Chris Smyth says Tamworth's status as the organisation's biggest regional hub makes it the perfect place to soak in regional culture.
"This is a fantastic opportunity to promote initial education in our regional, rural and remote setting. Teacher graduates are well supported with a professional learning community, catholic context and a culture that is collaborative with a real focus on learning," Mr Smyth said.
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Co-Principal of St Joseph's Primary Tamworth, Greg O'Toole, said the placement experience has been eye-opening for both the students and the regional schools they have joined.
"It's great to see these young teachers who are really enthusiastic about the vocation they have chosen. In this short 10-week period we have seen them learn, develop, improve and grow in our school community. It provides hope for the future of education in our system and beyond," Mr O'Toole said.
Notre Dame Students Moira Watts and Alicia Salas said their time at St Joseph's Primary School in West Tamworth had boosted their confidence towards working regionally.
"This teaching and learning experience goes beyond anything I have ever seen. The kids in the country have such a beautiful outlook on life and such a diverse range of experiences," Ms Watts said.
"We have also participated in learning walks at other schools in Tenterfield, Quirindi and Manilla to watch the pedagogies of other teachers and learn more about their learning sequence, and the level of collaboration across the system is inspiring," Ms Salas added.
![Mr Smyth with Notre Dame student teachers Alicia Salas and Moira Watts at St Joseph's Primary School in West Tamworth. Picture supplied by the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Armidale Mr Smyth with Notre Dame student teachers Alicia Salas and Moira Watts at St Joseph's Primary School in West Tamworth. Picture supplied by the Catholic Schools Office, Diocese of Armidale](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/200003594/a5874e6c-a317-4d01-a519-a6dfd3413409_rotated_90.JPG/r0_0_3376_5995_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Both of the future teachers said they've made strong ties to Tamworth and will "definitely consider" working regionally.
The partnership between the Armidale Diocese and UNDA is part of a broader UNDA initiative aimed at supporting pre-service teaching students by offering them placements in regional or rural towns.
Supporting these placements also supports Armidale Catholic Schools' ongoing recruitment strategy to entice young professionals to work in schools outside cities, and the organisation says it provides financial assistance to student teachers living away from home for the duration of their placement.
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