Springfield celebrates its first special education graduands

Special Education graduands Kia Bland and Jasmine Higgins

Bachelor of Education (Primary and Middle Schooling) students Kia Bland and Jasmine Higgins are the first USQ Springfield students to graduate with a specialisation in Special Education.

Special Education Program Coordinator Dr Jan Stenton said the program was one of only a few undergraduate degrees in special education in Australia when it launched in 2008.

'Special Education programs prepare teachers to meet the diverse needs of all learners in the regular and special education classrooms,' she said.

'The program qualifies teachers for employment in the regular primary or middle classroom and the special education classroom.

'The focus on curriculum, particularly in the areas of autistic spectrum disorder, speech and language difficulties and social and emotional difficulties, will inform future teachers of a range of pedagogical and behavioural strategies that are beneficial for all learners.

'There has long been a need in education for teachers specifically qualified to teach students with special needs and we are now seeing the fruits of this new program with our first graduands, Kia and Jasmine.'

Kia, who is now working at the Claremont Special School in Ipswich said she hadn’t considered working with students with special needs until she gained some hands on experience during her first year practicum.

'After working with these children, I just knew it was what I wanted to do,' she said.

'Since then I made Special Education my specialisation and I have loved working with these students. My students all vary in their learning abilities but are wonderful to work with and the school and staff are fantastic and are always willing to lend a hand.

'Eventually I would like to go back to university and study more specific areas of special education, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).'

Kia said she finds the unpredictability of her days the most interesting in her role as a special needs teacher.

'My students make my day. Every day is always different and sometimes you need to throw your planning out the window and think on your feet. I enjoy being able to provide more one-on-one support to my students as I am working with smaller class sizes and have a Teacher Aide to provide assistance.'

Kia chose to study at USQ Springfield because of the close location to her home in Raceview and she was awarded a scholarship.

'The lecturers were very helpful and by the end of the first year you know them all by name and they knew ours. Being close to home I have also been able to make and keep fantastic friendships.

'There is such a demand for special education trained teachers, if prospective students have any doubts about whether this is an area of interest for them, then I strongly encourage them to go to a special school and ask if they can help out for a day or more.

'We value everyone who comes into our classroom and provides assistance and you will learn more from practical experience than from a book. It is a worthwhile experience and I enjoy going to work every day.'

Students still have time to apply for the Bachelor of Education (BEDU) and other USQ programs with a semester two intake - QTAC applications close on Friday 2 July. For further information phone 1800 811 380.

Contact Details:
Jo-Ann Sparrow, USQ Media, +61 7 3470 4119 or 0438 309 096