Media Release
Scholarship to improve health education practices
11 December 2007
Department of Employment, Education and Training Chief Executive Margaret Banks congratulated Mr David Armstrong, the recipient of this year’s Westfield Chief Minister’s Scholarship.
Mr Armstrong, a health studies and physical education teacher at the Northern Territory Open Education Centre (NTOEC), will use the $12 000 scholarship to conduct research in Cambodia.
Due to the similar challenges facing remote and distance education in both the Northern Territory and Cambodia, Mr David Armstrong’s research will contribute to improved sexual health education in the Territory.
While overseas next year Mr Armstrong will work with non-government organisations that deliver sexual health programs for teachers of secondary aged students in urban and remote areas of Cambodia.
He will subsequently develop culturally sensitive sexual health programs for secondary students in remote Indigenous communities and a teacher training package for secondary teachers.
Over the past few years Mr Armstrong has played an active role in establishing a partnership program between NTOEC and Victoria’s Kerang Technical High School. David, who has recently returned from a trip to Cambodia with a group of students and teachers from Kerang Technical High School, hopes to establish a similar program for NTOEC students next year.
Sponsored by Westfield Holdings Limited and associated Ginger Max (Australia) Pty Ltd, the Westfield Chief Minister’s Scholarship Program encourages excellence and innovation in education by supporting educational and cultural exchange between Australia and other countries.
The program has been running since 2001, when Westfield celebrated its 40th anniversary as a public company with teacher scholarships including $120 000 worth of funding for Northern Territory teachers.
The final $12 000 scholarship will be offered next year for a teacher with over three years experience working in a Northern Territory government or non-government school.