21 September 2004

New scholarship scheme announced

Education Minister Trevor Mallard today announced new scholarships for students training to teach in Maori and Pasifika languages.

Further announcements will be made over the next two days about new scholarships in other subject areas where there are teacher shortages.

Trevor Mallard said that the new scholarships replace those available only to Maori and Pasifika students in teacher training.

"The new scholarships will target student teachers of any ethnicity able to teach in Maori medium in either early childhood, primary or secondary education, and in Pasifika language in early childhood education. There are currently shortages of qualified teachers in these areas.

"Under the previous scheme about 400 scholarships were available to people of Maori and Pasifika descent in schools and early childhood education, and were worth up to $10,000 each over a course of study.

"In the new scheme, around 300 scholarships will be awarded each year and they could be worth up to $20,000 each. The new scheme will cost about $4 million a year when fully implemented.

"In return for the scholarships, recipients will be bonded and expected to teach for the same number of years for which they received the scholarships."

Trevor Mallard said that the government had concluded that the scholarships based on ethnicity which had been offered since the 1990s could not be justified.

"What is clear, however, is that teachers able to teach in the medium of Maori and Pasifika languages are in short supply. It is that shortage which these scholarships focus on. In further announcements this week I will outline what other subject areas will be targeted for scholarships because of teacher shortages," Trevor Mallard said.

ENDS

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