Luke Hartsuyker (Cowper, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Vocational Training, I present the committee’s report of the inquiry into teacher education entitled Top of the class: report of the inquiry into teacher education, together with the minutes of proceedings and evidence received by the committee.

Ordered that the report be made a parliamentary paper.

Teacher education is undeniably important to the social and economic wellbeing of Australia. Research has found that the quality of teaching a student receives is the most important factor influencing their achievement. This means that better quality teacher education has the potential to improve the effectiveness of the entire school system. Investment in teacher education can increase the academic performance of students, reduce the need for remedial programs and ease the negative social and economic consequences of educational underachievement.

It is important to state that the teacher education system is not in crisis—it currently serves Australia well, but it could do better. The committee’s recommendations suggest improvements at every stage of teacher education. Each recommendation is worth while as a stand-alone measure but together the recommendations constitute a powerful reform package.

The first two recommendations are aimed at creating a sound research base for teacher education. The committee is concerned that there has been little previous work to establish what is meant by ‘quality’ teacher education and recommends a longitudinal study of teacher education to assess the effectiveness of different models. To assist in putting education on a sound research base, the committee also recommends that a specific educational research fund, modelled on the NHMRC, be established to provide funding for high-quality research into teacher education.

One of the committee’s key recommendations is that a national system of accreditation of university teacher education courses be established. This system would be based on a national set of professional teaching standards, which would also guide state and territory teacher registration authorities. The accreditation of teacher education courses by a national body would provide for greater consistency and rigour and would facilitate the portability of teaching qualifications.

Teacher education already attracts many high-achieving students; however, the committee recommends extra funding to increase the diversity of entrants to teacher education. There is also an imbalance between the numbers of students in particular teacher education courses and the number and types of teachers needed—for instance, most states report an oversupply of primary school teachers but an undersupply of secondary maths and science teachers. The committee recommends a more tightly focused allocation of places in teacher education courses to meet demand.

Practicum is an area which frequently presents problems for universities. While practicum is highly valued by students, it is also frequently criticised because of the weak links between theory and practice and the variable quality of supervision. Length and quality of practicum varies significantly from university to university. The committee recommends the establishment of a national teacher education partnership fund to establish collaborative approaches to practicum, research, induction and professional development. The committee also recommends a rethink of the current funding for practicum. The actual costs of providing practicum need to be accurately determined, and universities should be paid a separate amount which fully covers the practicum component.

The transition from university to becoming a teacher is an area that has previously been neglected, with induction of new teachers generally being the responsibility of the employing school. The committee recommends that the Australian government encourage, by partially financing, a year-long, structured induction program for beginning teachers. The program would include an allocated mentor and a 20 per cent reduction in the beginning teacher’s face-to-face teaching load.

Teacher education does not end at graduation. Teachers must continue learning throughout their careers. Hence, the committee recommends that all teachers commit to ongoing professional learning and that this be a requirement for renewal of registration. Ongoing professional learning could be rewarded if it were linked with higher levels of registration and pay. Much of the educational research that is being done in Australia does not easily find its way into teaching practice; therefore, the committee supports a feasibility study into the establishment of a national clearing house for educational research by Teaching Australia.

Finally, the committee recommends a range of funding measures to put teacher education on a sounder financial footing. While the committee considers that universities should retain the flexibility to determine the distribution of funds allocated to them, there should be greater transparency in the system and they should be required to report on expenditure in greater detail. The committee recommends that the Commonwealth contribution rate for education be increased significantly and that the impact on teacher education of capping the student contribution rate be evaluated. There is widespread concern that the cost of providing teacher education is underestimated.

This report is by no means the first inquiry into teacher education. During the last two decades, over 80 reports on teacher education have been produced. In seeking to make an original contribution where so many have preceded us, the committee has stepped back to look at the whole system from a national perspective. The committee’s aim was to make a number of practical and achievable recommendations that would address the most pressing and longstanding issues in teacher education. I commend this report to the House. (Time expired)

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