Anonymous #289

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #289

Where are you located?

South Australia

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?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

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

Strongly agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Ultimately it seems that the media has the biggest role to play in changing public perception on how teachers are viewed. The draft plan notes that the media will actively promote teachers, but I'm unsure on how this can be achieved.

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 disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

The real issue is here a long term issue and recruitment of new teachers plays a part but a big component is keeping teachers that we already have. The reason teachers leave is that the stress and workload is too high.

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?

This plan offers good targets to maximise time to teach. However, I think it needs to add ways of ensuring that the time gained does not get eaten away by school administrators. There needs to be a way to quarantine non-instruction-time for teachers preparation.

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.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Firstly, I think there needs to be further recognition of skills from other industries so that, for example, teachers moving from another industry don't need to start at the lowest pay level. This would help retain teachers that moved into teaching ideological reasons, but then left for economic reasons.

Secondly, there is not a lot of room for teachers who don't wish to become management to grow. I think it would be good for staff to be given more opportunities to become experts in their fields through extra university training.