QTU Encourages More Indigenous Teachers [TBM]
Queensland Teachers Union is hoping for more indigenous teachers to reflect the population across Queensland State schools.
WITH the rate of indigenous high school graduates low, the Queensland Teachers Union is encouraging those who do graduate to study teaching.
Griffith University student, Leona Yunkaporta, is studying the Bachelor of Education to become a primary school teacher.
“I always wanted to be a teacher,” Leona said.
She is aware of the low graduation rate and hopes that by becoming a teacher she will be able to influence indigenous students.
“I want to teach in an indigenous community. Try to influence them, because the rate of graduating from high school is so low.”
Leona experienced first hand how difficult indigenous students find it to graduate.
“I was the only student to graduate from my year eight class.”
Leona is studying teaching with the help of the Noel Pearson Scholarship. Without the scholarship she would not be studying to become a teacher.
Vice President for the Queensland Teachers Union, Julie Brown is very supportive of indigenous students becoming teachers.
“The Queensland Teachers Union encourages all people with indigenous background to become teachers, as this would be very reflective of the student population in Queensland. If a student had an indigenous teacher they would be more likely to pursue tertiary education. Not just to become a teacher, but because they can see that an indigenous person can do it, so they can too.”
Kevin Rudd has pledged $2.1 billion with the hope of improving indigenous education over the next four years. This is expected to improve the indigenous graduation rate.
With the teachers union strike on tomorrow hopefully their wage increase is addressed, thus encouraging more indigenous teachers.
