Southern Cross University students go west

Budding teachers from Southern Cross University's three campuses will start a week-long trek to western NSW on Monday, August 29, to experience life teaching in rural and remote schools.

Ninety students, who are doing primary or secondary teaching courses at the Tweed Gold Coast, Lismore and Coffs Harbour campuses, are taking part in the Department of Education and Training's Beyond the Line initiative, part of the Department's Explore Your Future program.

The program is designed to give teacher education students first-hand experience in school areas that offer the highest employment opportunities for new graduates.

Dr Neville Jennings, an education lecturer at SCU's Tweed Gold Coast campus, said the trip was a great way for student teachers to get an understanding of what it was like to teach in schools in the western part of NSW.

He said the SCU students would be billeted with teachers in the Dubbo-Moree area, as far west as Cobar and Warren.

"They will be spending time in the classroom observing what it's like in a country school and get a chance to see the teachers in action. They'll also stay with them and see what it's like living in the town."

Dr Jennings said many of the current SCU students were looking to work in other parts of Australia and overseas when they finished their studies, and this was a good opportunity to broaden their experiences.

The students will be accompanied on the trip by Mr Jennings and the co-ordinator of professional experiences (secondary programs)and education lecturer, Ms Noelene Weatherby-Fell.

Southern Cross University offers a range of teaching programs including graduate secondary education teaching courses at the Tweed Gold Coast, Coffs Harbour and Lismore campuses, primary teaching and combined degrees in secondary education at Lismore, and Bachelor of Technology Education at Coffs Harbour.