About the scholarships

The Pearl Duncan Teaching Scholarships (previously the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teaching Scholarships) were developed by the Department of Education, Training and the Arts to assist aspiring teachers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent to complete their degrees and make a difference in education.

The department realises the importance of having a state teaching workforce mirroring the diversity of students attending our schools. This is especially significant for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community where teachers undertake the important task of role models for the up and coming generation.

The scholarships provide financial assistance to scholarship holders to gain degrees in education at Queensland universities. Scholarships are valued at up to $20,000 each.

Following the satisfactory completion of their course and gaining an acceptable suitability ranking from the department, scholarship holders are guaranteed employment with the Department of Education, Training and the Arts in Queensland State schools for a time equivalent to the duration of their full-time study.

Employment is conditional upon the scholarship holder maintaining teacher registration and being willing to be employed in any geographical location in Queensland.

They become permanent teachers of the department upon successful completion of their initial probationary period.

The scholarships are targeted at school leavers, postgraduate students and Department of Education, Training and the Arts staff who plan to undertake full-time teaching degrees.

In 2005 the scholarships were renamed the Pearl Duncan Teaching Scholarships in honour of Pearl Duncan, an Aboriginal educator who has dedicated her life to improving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in education.

^ Top of page

2009 Guidelines (new window) 289k and
2009 Application Form (new window) 264k

PAST WINNERS:

2008 (new window) 72k

2007 (new window) 73k

2006 (new window) 65k

2005