Teacher Lesley Lamb of Timbumburi Public School has won a prestigious 2024 Premier’s Teacher Scholarship, recognising her as an outstanding educator who is transforming the lives of students.
Ms Lamb received the Premier’s University of NSW Rural and Remote Education Scholarship to study closing the education gap – attracting and retaining high quality teachers in rural and remote schools to achieve equitable outcomes for rural and remote students in the USA and Australia.
Scholarship recipients each received between $10,000 and $15,000 for a five-week study tour. The scholarship program is open to all NSW teachers from government and non-government schools and preschools, as well as teachers at TAFE NSW institutes. The Premier’s Teacher Scholarship recipients were presented at a reception at The Mint on 17 October 2023.
Ms Lamb says she intends to use the scholarship to help close the educational gap between city and rural schools.
“Receiving this scholarship is an incredible opportunity to delve deeper into a very relevant issue that affects rural and remote schools.”
“I will be investigating practices nationally and internationally that retain quality teachers in rural and remote schools in order to close the educational gap.”
“This scholarship will allow me to investigate, observe and spend time with both school and system leaders, teachers and institutions that demonstrate proven practices.”
“It will also help me to identify elements of these best practices that can directly contribute to equitable opportunities and improved learning outcomes for rural and remote students in NSW.”
“I have spent most of my teaching career living and teaching in wonderful regional and rural communities.”
“I believe there are incredible opportunities in rural and remote schools. But there are also many challenges that can be exacerbated by the complexities of geographical location, especially in remote communities,” she said.
“And these challenges are what we need to overcome in order to provide every rural and remote student with an equitable education.”
Top image: Premier Chris Minns, Lesley Lamb, Education Minister Prue Carr (supplied)
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