Undertaking a pre-service teacher placement at a rural or regional school is an important and valuable experience for teaching students. It could also be the first step towards a rewarding career and life in rural or regional Victoria. The Victorian Government is investing in a range of programs and initiatives to provide pre-service teachers with supports and incentives to undertake a practical placement at a rural or regional Victorian government school.
Benefits of a rural or regional placement
Why look beyond the city? Here are some of the top reasons for choosing a placement in rural or regional Victoria:
- Positive, collaborative learning environments
- Exposure to a varied range of classroom settings and opportunities to learn
- Lifestyle in a rural/regional area
- Welcoming communities
- Programs with tailored supports and incentives to support your placement experience
A pre-service teacher placement in a rural or regional school will provide invaluable experience of unique classrooms and school settings. Pre-service teacher placements are also a key opportunity to build relationships with potential future employers. Whether or not you intend to work in a rural or regional school after graduation, a rural/regional placement adds something more to your teaching qualification and experience. You can contribute to and engage in a local Victorian community while developing skills and confidence in the classroom.
Consider a supported rural or regional placement through one of the following Victorian Government programs available in 2023:
- Teach Rural, a pilot program in partnership with Country Education Partnership
- Teaching Academies of Professional Practice partnerships with Victorian universities
- Access Quality Teaching partnerships with Victorian universities
Find out more about these programs and eligibility below.
Program options and participating partners
Teach Rural
The Teach Rural program supports groups of pre-service teachers to undertake placements at clusters of rural and regional Victorian government schools. As part of the Teach Rural program, pre-service teachers receive:
- A placement organised and coordinated by Country Education
- Fully subsidised and organised placement accommodation
- Tailored cluster/area welcome packs with information on the schools and community
- A cluster welcome event and a welcome dinner with their host school principal or mentor
- A cluster peer network or community engagement event
- Dedicated mentor teacher support and induction.
Visit the Teach Rural to apply or find out more.
Teaching students can also contact Susan Jackson at Country Education Partnership at: susan@cep.org.au
Teaching Academics of Professional Practice (TAPPs)
TAPPs are Victorian Government-funded partnerships between universities and clusters of schools that are designed to facilitate and improve the quality of practical placements for teaching students. The following TAPPs support placements in rural and regional Victoria:
- Deakin University, Australian Catholic University and Federation University Australia’s Horsham/Wimmera partnership
- La Trobe University’s Bendigo partnership
- La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne’s Greater Shepparton partnership
- Monash University’s Bass Coast partnership.
As part of a TAPP placement, pre-service teachers receive:
- Subsidised placement accommodation
- A community welcome pack and events
- Mentor teacher support during the placement experience
Teaching students are invited to email the department at ite@education.vic.gov.au for further information on eligibility for participating in TAPPs placements.
Access Quality Teaching (AQT)
The Access Quality Teaching (AQT) program is run in partnership with four universities: Deakin University, Federation University Australia, La Trobe University and Swinburne University of Technology. The program supports high-performing pre-service teachers (with a WAM of >70 or GPA >6.5) to complete targeted training in trauma-informed practice and undertake placements at disadvantaged Victorian government schools, including some rural and regional schools.
As part of the AQT program, pre-service teachers can access:
- placement supports to facilitate placements – in some cases, an annual stipend of $900
- a modified curriculum with a specific focus on trauma-informed teaching and behavioural management in disadvantaged, regional, rural and remote school settings.
In addition, participating schools are able to:
- Build professional networks with universities
- Attract high performing pre-service teachers to graduate roles
- Access mentor teacher training and research
- Receive support from regional coordinators.
For further information, please visit Initial teacher education or contact: access.quality.teaching@education.vic.gov.au.
Reviewed 08 February 2023