New Partnership to address the COVID-19 teacher shortage
Teacher education students to work in Catholic schools to address the COVID-19 teacher shortage and plan for future workforce needs.
The plan will not only address the short-term challenges posed by COVID-19, it is part of a long-term strategy to place highly trained, workplace-ready graduates into Australian Catholic schools and early childhood education centres.
St Clare’s Catholic High School,Hassall Grove, in the Diocese of Parramatta has employed five ACU pre-service teachers as paraprofessionals.
Kevin Jones, Principal, St Clare’s Catholic College, commented
“At St Clare's we are acutely aware that the experience undergraduate teachers gain in schools is invaluable. We believe the role of paraprofessionals in Catholic schools will benefit these young aspiring teachers, the experienced teachers they work with, our students and the community as a whole. Their work will be a tremendous support to hard working professionals both in the learning spaces and in terms of preparation, resourcing and organisation. We are very excited about the possibilities.”
The paraprofessionals will be employed up to four days per week with in-school mentoring and support from ACU. This flexibility ensures they have time to complete their university studies and to meet the requirements of their final professional experience so they can graduate and join the workforce.
St Clare’s Catholic High School Principal, Kevin Jones, with student teachers Georgia Houlihann and Patrick Sheehann. Photo: The Catholic Weekly/GiovanniPortellii.
National Catholic Education Commission Executive Director, Jacinta Collins, further commented