Science Education Technicians Australia

Submitter information

Name

Science Education Technicians Australia

Where are you located?

Queensland

What type of area do you live in?

Metropolitan

Are you an education professional?
(e.g. teacher, school leader, learning support assistant, teacher’s aide)

Yes

Which sector do you work in?

Secondary

What is your occupation?

Science Technician

Elevating the profession

The actions proposed recognise the value teachers bring to students, communities and the economy.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Improving teacher supply

The actions proposed will be effective in increasing the number of students entering ITE, number of students completing ITE and the number of teachers staying in and/or returning to the profession.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

The actions proposed will ensure initial teacher education supports teacher supply and quality.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Maximising the time to teach

The actions proposed will improve retention and free up teachers to focus on teaching and collaboration.

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

SETA (Science Education Technicians Australia) believes that training of support staff working in science ie science technicians, to support teachers would be beneficial.

Science technicians work alongside teachers to support practical activities in science. A trained technician will be able to substitute safer alternatives to achieve the educational outcomes that a teacher needs. With a trained technician the teacher can have confidence that the equipment put out for an experiment is correct, in good working order and is safe.
If you refer to the ASTA (Australian Science Teachers Association) Position Statement Safe Practical Activities in School Science ( https://www.asta.edu.au/impact-and-advocacy/policy-positions/ and scroll down to the bottom of the webpage to download.), one of the dot points states:
“Sufficient technical support: e.g. Adequate allocation of technical support by trained staff.”
In the Buiding Teacher Capacity policy position paper in Issues Teachers Face is
"there is a lack of dedicated science specialists or laboratory technicians in their school or area for support."

There is suitable training available; Certificate IV in Laboratory Techniques and the Diploma of Laboratory Technology. In the past year, the QLD Department of Education (DoE) offered all state science technicians who had no science qualifications or didn’t have the diploma free training via an RTO (Registered Training Authority). The units had been contextualised to suit the educational industry.

At present there are states where the science technicians come from the office staff or recruited with no previous science experience or science qualifications.

Better understanding future teacher workforce needs

How effective are the proposed actions in better understanding future teacher workforce needs, including the number of teachers required?

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Better career pathways to support and retain teachers in the profession

The proposed actions will improve career pathways, including through streamlining the process for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) accreditation, and providing better professional support for teachers to retain them in the profession.

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?