Government Senators' report
BY
SENATORS TIERNEY,
FERRIS AND SYNON
Government Senators accept many of the findings of the
majority Report. They acknowledge the concerns expressed by teachers and others
about the perceived decline in the status of teachers and the adverse effects
of this decline upon the teaching profession, upon school education generally
and, most importantly, upon students. They also recognise the enthusiasm and dedication
of many teachers and the numerous examples of good teaching practice brought to
the Committee's attention during its Inquiry.
Government Senators differ from other Committee members on
the most effective means of addressing the problems identified during the
Inquiry. In particular they believe that, as schools are primarily a State and
Territory Government responsibility, it is inappropriate to make
recommendations to the Commonwealth Government on future arrangements governing
standards and registration. Such issues should be directed to individual State
and Territory governments in the first instance and then to the Ministerial
Council on Employment, Education Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA) for
issues relating to national consistency and mutual recognition.
Government Senators therefore dissent from recommendation
one of the majority report. They suggest it be replaced by the four
recommendations which follow.
Government Senators are persuaded by the evidence received
during the Inquiry that teacher registration arrangements operating in South
Australia, and more especially in Queensland, have the potential to enhance the
status and professionalism of teachers. They would like to encourage other
jurisdictions to adopt similar approaches to teacher registration.
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that State and
Territory governments examine the possibility of the establishment of teacher
registration boards with functions, membership and funding similar to those now
operating through the Teacher Registration Board in Queensland.
Government Senators are also persuaded of the desirability
of establishing mutual recognition of teaching qualifications and registration
between State registration boards. This will enable teachers to seek employment
anywhere in the country and will assist employers by providing a wider pool of
qualified teachers from which to select. Government Senators dissent from the
majority report's conclusion that mutual recognition could be attained most
effectively through imposition of a national teaching body. Rather, they would
prefer that MCEETYA establish a framework for the mutual recognition of teacher
qualifications and registration arrangements once these have been put in place
by individual State and Territory jurisdictions.
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA
investigate the establishment of a framework for mutual recognition of teacher
registration arrangements adopted by boards of teacher registration in each
State and Territory.
Government Senators acknowledge the desirability of
nationally consistent standards for the teaching profession along the lines set
out in recommendation one of the majority report. As noted however, it
considers the standards should be developed by MCEETYA, working in conjunction
with State and Territory governments, rather than by a new national body as
recommended by the majority report.
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA, working
closely with State and Territory teacher registration bodies, examine the
feasibility of establishing:
- nationally consistent standards of professional practice which
take into account what teachers should be expected to know and be able to do
in order to facilitate student learning across the key learning areas
- certified levels of entry into the profession, criteria for
re-registration and recognition of advanced standing in the profession
- accreditation arrangements for initial teacher training and a
professional development framework for the maintenance of the professional
expertise of teachers
- a system for making recommendations to the Commonwealth
Minister on priorities for national professional development programs
- mechanisms for acting on complaints of professional
incompetence, and assisting teachers to improve their skills
- a national register of teachers certified by State and
Territory registration boards as meeting and maintaining professional standards
and thus eligible for employment as teachers in both government and non
government schools.
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA include
among its responsibilities the promotion in the general community of the value
of teaching.
On the specific question of accreditation arrangements for
initial teacher education, Government Senators support the findings and
recommendations of the Report of the National Standards and Guidelines for
Initial Teacher Education Project prepared by the Australian Council of
Deans of Education. The Report suggests that the National Standards and
Guidelines be endorsed by MCEETYA and form the basis of external accreditation
or approval of initial teacher education according to six principles, which it
enunciates.
Government Senators support this approach. They consider
that the Standards and Guidelines provide a formal framework for securing high
quality teacher education in Australia and that they will consolidate the
research base which increasingly is underpinning the development of course
content and design of initial teacher education programs. If adopted the
Standards and Guidelines will facilitate best practice in initial teacher
education, achieve specified graduate outcomes and provide the necessary
accountability to relevant stakeholders. They are consistent both with a
recognition of the academic independence of universities and with the National
Competency Framework for Beginning Teaching. They are also
consistent with the recommendations of Government Senators set out above.
In the view of Government Senators the Standards and
Guidelines provide a platform for promoting the status of teachers and for
emphasising the centrality of quality teachers to quality education, and to our
society more generally.
Government Senators dissent from recommendation two. Salary
and career structures are a responsibility of State and Territory governments.
Government Senators dissent from recommendation three. The
trend to casualisation is beyond the control of Commonwealth or State
jurisdictions.
Government Senators dissent from recommendation four, as
issues of casualisation are a responsibility of State governments. They have
reworded this recommendation to reflect this fact.
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that State and
Territory governments institute research on the level of casualisation
necessary to provide employers with reasonable flexibility while safeguarding
the interests of teachers.
Government Senators dissent from recommendation five.
On the issue of funding, Government Senators believe the
sentiments expressed in the majority report's recommendation six are
unrealistic and pay insufficient attention to the conflicting financial
pressures on governments. They therefore agree only to the first part of
recommendation six of the majority report, as follows.
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that governments fund
public schools at a level sufficient to deliver the appropriate standard of
education within the Eight Key Learning Areas, and commensurate with the
National Goals of Schooling.
Government Senators consider that State and Territory
governments, as the major providers of school education, are the appropriate
bodies to establish benchmarks for the funding of technology in schools. It has
redrafted recommendation seven to reflect this view.
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA
investigate the establishment of benchmarks for appropriate levels of
funding for technology in schools.
Government Senators dissent from recommendations eight and
nine.
They have reformulated recommendation ten to reflect their
view that MCEETYA is the appropriate body to direct a national recruitment
campaign. This now reads:
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA develop a
national recruitment campaign designed to attract high quality applicants to
the teaching profession.
Government Senators dissent from recommendations eleven,
twelve and thirteen.
Government Senators support recommendation fourteen,
provided it is clear that the necessary action be initiated by MCEETYA. It has
reworded the majority report recommendation to reflect this sentiment. It now
reads
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA consider
establishment of a National Teacher Education Network comprising a consortium
of innovative teacher education faculties and schools to build upon the work of
the National Schools Network and the Innovative Links Project in modelling best
practice in the development and delivery of initial and continuing teacher
education.
Government Senators support recommendation fifteen of the
majority report, with modifications to ensure that this becomes a MCEETYA
responsibility, as follows:
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA include
among its responsibilities the development of a suggested structure for
induction programs nationally and guidelines to assist schools and government
and non government systems in implementing them.
Government Senators dissent from recommendation sixteen of
the majority report.
Government Senators support recommendation seventeen of the
majority report, with appropriate modifications, as follows:
The Government Senators RECOMMEND that MCEETYA include
among its responsibilities the accreditation of professional development
providers and courses.
Government Senators support recommendation eighteen, so long
as it is amended to clarify the fact that this is a State and Territory
government matter. They have reworded this recommendation to reflect this fact,
as follows:
The Government Senators RECOMMEND, in line with their
acknowledgment that teaching is a profession, that State and Territory
governments ensure that teachers' participation in professional development be
a prerequisite for their continued registration, or for re-registration.
Government Senators support recommendation nineteen of the
majority report, which reads as follows:
The Committee RECOMMENDS that the Commonwealth Government
require State and Territory governments, as part of their contribution to the
National Report on Schooling, to include information on teacher supply and
demand in government and non government schools, with detailed figures to be
included in the Statistical Appendix to that document.
Senator J Tierney
Deputy Chair |
Senator Judith Troeth |
Senator Jeannie Ferris |
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