The Age | 1 March 2013
Universities in Victoria have been accused by school principals of allowing teacher-trainees to graduate despite failing their final practice rounds in schools. For most student teachers, this is in the fourth year of their bachelor of education degree.
Around Australia, school leaders and state governments have been highly critical of education faculties that lower entry standards to admit too many students and then fail to provide the training and classroom experience they need.
This year, more than 100,000 Australians are undertaking education degrees and diplomas in the nation’s higher education institutions – up by 10,000 since 2009. An estimated 25,000 will graduate this year, a majority holding a bachelor of education or a postgraduate diploma.
Yet fewer than a third of the students hoping to become teachers will ever complete their degrees, while principals say that of those who do, and end up in front of a class, many are often ill-prepared for the constant demands of the job.
A position paper being prepared by the Victorian Principals Association is expected to propose that:
- The education department play a greater role in setting consistent teaching standards in teacher training institutions, with an increased emphasis on developing classroom literacy and numeracy skills.
- The department organise campaigns to attract high-quality school leavers and “change of career” aspirants into the teaching profession.
- Training institutions be required regularly to align their course content with the teacher standards set down by Victorian Institute of Teaching and this must also be aligned with departmental strategies.
- Applicants wanting to enrol in a teaching course should face an interview in which an experienced school principal would be on the interview panel while teacher training institutions would set a minimum entry score for bachelor of education courses.
- Teacher training include a mandatory time in schools in the first month of the course.
- The department introduces an internship system or extended “apprenticeship” type training in which prospective teachers would work in schools for one year learning on the job.
