By CASEY NEILL
TOP university graduates are heading into classrooms in Casey, Cardinia and Greater Dandenong.
The Teach for Australia participants will bring their expertise from fields including law, economics and science to Emerald, Kooweerup and Hampton Park secondary colleges and Keysborough College.
Education Minister James Merlino has announced that the Department of Education and Training will support next year’s associates.
He said they had a commitment to reducing educational disadvantage and exceptional levels of academic achievement.
They will partially complete a Master of Teaching at Deakin University before entering classrooms at disadvantaged schools to teach for at least two years.
Associates receive mentoring support throughout placement from Teach For Australia teaching and leadership advisers, Deakin University academic mentors and other teachers at their school.
The program is now in its sixth year.
Mr Merlino said it had shown its capacity to create exemplary teachers and future leaders and demonstrated a fundamental commitment to addressing educational disadvantage.
