About the Bid O'Sullivan Teaching Scholarships

Each year since 1999 the Department of Education and Training has offered the Bid O 'Sullivan Teaching Scholarships to assist Year 12 students who have chosen teaching as their career and who have a permanent residence in an area of Queensland designated as rural or remote by the Department of Education and Training (DET) to undertake an approved pre-service teacher education program .

The scholarships were created to develop a workforce that is more reflective of its client group and provides opportunities to enhance the number of rural and remote teachers in Queensland 's education system.

The scheme provides financial assistance to the scholarship recipient while studying an approved pre-service teacher education program on a full-time basis at a Queensland Higher Educaton Institution (HEI).

Each scholarship is valued at $20,000 (before tax). Payments of $2,500 (before tax) are made every semester following successful completion of the previous semester's assessments.

Under the terms of the Scholarship Agreement, scholarship recipients are eligible for permanent employment with DET provided they:

successfully complete all requirements of the pre-service teacher education program, and obtain teacher registration with the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT)
undertake the department's Application for Teacher Employment process
meet DET suitability for employment requirements and demonstrate merit, relative to other teacher applicants
successfully complete the probationary period.

Further information about the DET Application for Teacher Employment process, including suitability rankings, is available through out Make a Difference. Teach site.

Offers of employment are based on demonstrated merit for appointment, relative to other teacher applicants, with consideration of teaching capabilities, location preferences, availability to commence a position and suitability ranking. Recipients must attain a ranking of Sound or above to be eligible for permanent employment.

Scholarship recipients eligible for permanent employment will be considered for available positions in schools with a Remote Area Incentive Scheme rating of 4 or higher immediately after gaining their qualification. The Remote Area Incentives Scheme (RAIS) aims to encourage quality teachers to teach in rural and remote schools and to remain in those schools beyond the minimum required service period. It provides a range of generous incentives and benefits to teachers in schools and other educational facilities in rural or remote locations with a teacher Transfer Rating (TR) of 4 - 7.

The scholarships are named in honour of Bid O'Sullivan , a pioneer of the School of the Air.

For further information, contact the Senior Project Officer.

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This page was last reviewed on 07 Oct 2011 at 11:52AM