Monthly Archives: March 2013

Support for Teacher Standards

Josephine Tovey and Amy McNeilage, The Sydney Morning Herald (March 12, 2013)

photo: Peter Rae

In an effort to raise the standard of teacher training in Australia, the federal government has announced plans for higher standards for teachers entering the profession. As part of the government’s National Plan for School Improvement, the new screening process for admission to teaching courses will include an interview process, demonstration of values and aptitude, and a written statement, thereby making the entry process comparable with existing models in the field of medicine. In addition, all future teachers will need to pass a literacy and numeracy test, demonstrating that their skills are equivalent to the top 30% of the population, before obtaining a teaching degree.

Education Minister Peter Garrett said, “I think that they (teachers) do an excellent job, but the fact is universities need to be sure that the people who are putting up their hand to come in and do teaching have got not only the right qualifications but also the additional temperament, commitment, enthusiasm and directed strengths and real desire to do that job.”

Australia’s plan comes on the heels of a recent, controversial New South Wales proposal, which sets minimum academic entry standards for teacher education students, tougher accreditation tests, and requires mentoring by veteran teachers.

For more information:

Proposed reforms to ensure ‘right’ people enter teaching

The new Rs needed for teaching: reading, writing and a bucketload of rapport

Piccoli firm over teaching benchmark

Poverty conference calls for a socio-economic index to support schools

Johann Bacher

derStandard.at (February 26, 2013)

Johann Bacher, sociologist at the University of Lintz, called for index-based resource funding for schools at this year’s Austrian Poverty Conference.  According to Bacher, this method of funding would focus on socioeconomic disparities and compensate for social segregation in Austrian schools. Four variables (parent level of education, occupation, migration background and language spoken at home) would inform decisions about which schools receive additional government funding; however, schools would have the power to decide independently how best to use the money. The index would support weak students and strengthen the attractiveness of these schools for parents with higher income. The Federal Ministry for Education, Arts, and Culture (BMUKK) has expressed concern over the implementation of the index and feels that they are already dealing with the issue.