Anonymous #269

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #269

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?

Lecturer

What is your occupation?

University Lecturer (was a high school teacher for 20 years.

Elevating the profession

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

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

From the small amount I have read (and experienced) the majority of the problem is 'retention' and the majority of your solutions are about teacher education, elevating the profession and improving supply. To use an analogy, if there was a hole in the bucket (retention issue) most of what we are looking at is 'filling the bucket faster' more than we should.

Successive governments (both federally and at state level) have come up with numerous policies and actions (numeracy/literacy tests, initial teacher education advice from QCT/AITSL) and yet we have 40% decline in ITE courses and people leaving. Perhaps the governments and these organisations should be required to explain their actions or governments should look at why they are taking their advice, as their actions do seem that effective. 20 years for a 40% decline is a fair track record and not a 'rush to judgement' in claiming they have failed.

I believe that this panel needs to look at why teachers are leaving (conditions, workload, expectations, competitive nature of school places/work and not collegial) and address these issues. Things such as HAT's does not seem either to be working and I suggest could also be seen as divisive, given that a teacher may be awarded HAT (get more money whilst paying $800 application fee?) whilst another teacher who has paid $10 000-14 000 to do a Master's degree (in education) get's nothing. I wonder if that will create a good working environment.

In QLD I was told that secondary teacher's last increase in correction and preparation time was 1971. I will suggest that a lot has changed since then. When I last taught (2016 in a high school) we had 210 minutes of C&P time. In the time from 2010 on wards 2 major decisions occurred which largely ate into this time. Teacher's had to answer emails and the school I was at had to mark drafts of work. 15 minutes of emails per day (I know teachers would laugh at this minute number) means 75 minutes of C&P time gone. Marking drafts meant marking workload doubled, and yet no more time to do it. These are only two things and there would be numerous others that have occurred since then.

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.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

AITSL and state agencies I would hope are viewed on their track record of past performance with regards to attracting more people. Perhaps others should have more say.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

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

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Strategy 11 I believe if not done well is very risky. Quality control would be of paramount importance, and I believe could even result in an unwanted outcome or lowering of standards. Strategy 13 seems appropriate since poor literacy skills is one of the biggest predictors of university drop out.

Maximising the time to teach

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

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

I believe that this is where you need to invest a lot of your time. Teachers have a degree in creating learning episodes. They do not have degrees in getting 3 quotes for busses, sourcing outside providers or caterers, filling in forms to meet other organisations. If governments demand these things, then get at the very least, teacher aides to do them, or give teachers more correction and preparation time. You perhaps also need to look at what has driven this assessment and reporting increase is what some have termed "high stakes curriculum/testing" and the numerous detrimental effects of education (teaching to the test, a narrowing of teaching styles, devaluing of other subject areas (HPE, arts, etc) - see Thorburn and Collins, SueSee, Curtner-Smith and Hasty.

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?

Moderately effective

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

I was very pleased to see strategy 23 - you will maybe then deal with the issues and many of the people organisations in charge of past decisions and policies will need to justify their actions. Things such as excessive paperwork, not enough teaching, unrealistic expectations and low pay - in QLD paid for a 25 hour week (or that's what it says on the payslip) and work at the very least 8am-4pm per day. That means a teacher is only getting paid for 62.5% of the work they are doing. That would be like a person working 40 hours per week having to work a 65 hour week but only getting paid for 40.

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.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

An older principal once told me that that the problem with education now is that Principals think that they are at the top (managing a company) and the students are at the bottom. He told me that his job (Principal) is that he supports the head of department who support the teachers who support the students.

If teachers want money at the moment/current system, they have to reduce or stop teaching. Not a good model. I am biased but as a teacher, I viewed these people as administrators - good at filling in forms. Good teachers who want to teach should have at least 2 options if they would like more money and to reward good work. You don't have to be Einstein to work out what happens when money is only being handed out for filling in forms.

Create positions such as teacher mentor (and give time - yes C&P and money) to support the position and give it status to support beginning teachers.