With a current supply shortage of Adventist teachers, Adventist Schools Australia (ASA), in conjunction with the education team from the Conferences, has been creating new initiatives to encourage people to study teaching at Avondale University.
ASA created a Teacher Supply Working party to develop strategies to enhance the retention of teachers and to find ways to actively encourage people to attended Avondale University and pursue careers in Adventist Education.
“The recommendations from the working party provide a valuable roadmap to ensure that we have a sustainable supply of well trained, committed Christian teachers to staff our schools into the future,” stated Dr Daryl Murdoch, Director of Education at the Australian Union Conference (AUC).
In August 2021, the National Education Council received the Teacher Supply Working party report and approved the new position of a Schools Liaison Officer and a number of scholarships for students studying teaching at Avondale University.
The Schools Liaison Officer position will form part of the Avondale University marketing team to provide support to Adventist secondary schools. The officer will connect students and staff to entry pathways to study at Avondale University. They will provide career advice, promote the benefits of studying at an Adventist institution and maintain a one-on-one connection with interested students.
ASA has also introduced three new scholarships for young people wanting to study teaching or furthering their studies at Avondale University.
The Avondale University Changemaker Scholarship is available for students in their first year of studies and is worth $3,000 for the first two semesters. The MTeach Scholarship is available for those enrolled in a Master of Teaching, with a maximum of $6,000 over four semesters and the School Company Teacher Training Scholarship, which is not exclusive to those studying at Avondale University, is available to students in their second to fourth year of studies, with a minimum of $3,000 per year going towards university costs.
“We are extremely passionate about creating quality Adventist educators,” explained Dr Murdoch, “our school system is the largest protestant schooling system in the world and our schools in Australia continue to grow and are sought after due to the level of education and care provided.”
“We want to show potential students that teaching is an excellent and fulfilling career path, which is why we are investing in scholarships, the school liaison officer and looking into other opportunities to encourage them such as having an apprenticeship model of teacher training and inspiring them to continuously develop their skills and knowledge throughout their careers,” Dr Murdoch added.
One of many inspirational stories as a result of the initiatives and programs implemented by ASA is the story of Tiana Song, who moved from China to Australia and came from an atheist background.
After having their daughter, the family started look for truth in life, firstly examining Buddhism then attending an Evangelical Church, however it was when they started looking for schools for their daughter that they came across Nunawading Christian College and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
They were impressed with the teachers and principal, and their daughter thrived at the school. As Tiana became actively involved with the school, she and her husband commenced Bible studies and were subsequently baptised.
Tiana decided to become a teacher and commenced training via distance at Avondale University. She noted the potential of the MTeach Scholarship and applied for it earlier this year and now she has been appointed to teach at Edinburgh College in 2022.
“ASA wants to invest in our teachers and our schools,” stated Dr Murdoch, “we want to attract the young people straight out of high school, but we also value the life skills that comes from mature teachers.”
“We are hoping that these initiatives will encourage and inspire people, no matter what stage of life they are in, to follow God’s calling and become an Adventist educator.”
*for more information on the scholarships and to apply please visit: https://www.adventist.edu.au/scholarships/
