Abstract:
Set within the broader teacher shortage crisis of Australia, preparing preservice teachers for employment in regional, rural, and remote (RRR) communities is a perennial problem. This is clearly acknowledged within Independent and Governmental reports where recommendations are consistently made about facilitating better opportunities for RRR place-based initiatives (such as professional experience placement). Likewise, scholars have repeatedly reported that preservice teacher preparedness must shift away from metro-centric norms to explicitly include the opportunities and challenges associated with working and living in RRR communities. However, the associated travel, accommodation, and living costs remain to be a barrier for preservice teachers wanting this experience.
Education Queensland’s ‘Beyond the Range’ professional experience grant provides eligible preservice teachers with funding (up to $5000) to assist with placement-related travel expenses in priority school regions. Additionally, with the support of philanthropic funding, ITE providers are able to offer RRR place-based immersion initiatives and placement scholarships to encourage their preservice teachers to experience a RRR placement. The prospects of philanthropic funding means that ITE providers are able to offer ‘new and sustainable opportunities’ for preservice teachers with ‘greater flexibility’. Despite the acknowledged value of ITE and philanthropy partnerships, the associated work of these partnerships is not widely researched.
This paper contends that philanthropists and philanthropic funding in ITE is generating beneficial impacts across several stakeholders, particularly in RRR school communities. ITE preservice teachers and RRR school communities are the ultimate beneficiaries of these bursary programs. We propose it’s useful to explore the positive possibilities of ITE and philanthropic partnerships while concurrently problematising the origins and necessity of such philanthropic funding - particularly the pressures for ITE providers to produce ‘classroom ready’ graduates who are also well prepared for teaching in RRR communities.
Based on the preliminary findings of our research project, data suggests that university staff act as intermediaries between philanthropic organisations and beneficiaries. While the overarching theme of ‘for social good’ drives the work, there is significant ‘unseen’ work of academics, university, and professional staff as they function as intermediaries in philanthropic funding relationships. The value, benefits, and complexity of ITE and philanthropic partnership work is what this paper seeks to unveil.
Education Queensland’s ‘Beyond the Range’ professional experience grant provides eligible preservice teachers with funding (up to $5000) to assist with placement-related travel expenses in priority school regions. Additionally, with the support of philanthropic funding, ITE providers are able to offer RRR place-based immersion initiatives and placement scholarships to encourage their preservice teachers to experience a RRR placement. The prospects of philanthropic funding means that ITE providers are able to offer ‘new and sustainable opportunities’ for preservice teachers with ‘greater flexibility’. Despite the acknowledged value of ITE and philanthropy partnerships, the associated work of these partnerships is not widely researched.
This paper contends that philanthropists and philanthropic funding in ITE is generating beneficial impacts across several stakeholders, particularly in RRR school communities. ITE preservice teachers and RRR school communities are the ultimate beneficiaries of these bursary programs. We propose it’s useful to explore the positive possibilities of ITE and philanthropic partnerships while concurrently problematising the origins and necessity of such philanthropic funding - particularly the pressures for ITE providers to produce ‘classroom ready’ graduates who are also well prepared for teaching in RRR communities.
Based on the preliminary findings of our research project, data suggests that university staff act as intermediaries between philanthropic organisations and beneficiaries. While the overarching theme of ‘for social good’ drives the work, there is significant ‘unseen’ work of academics, university, and professional staff as they function as intermediaries in philanthropic funding relationships. The value, benefits, and complexity of ITE and philanthropic partnership work is what this paper seeks to unveil.