Anonymous #373

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #373

Where are you located?

Victoria

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?

Teacher Training, Design and Technology

What is your occupation?

Education Lecturer and Consultant

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?

1. A targeted national campaign to raise the status and value the role of teachers.
Helpful and should address technologies teachers specifically.
Must promote assistance in career transition, tuition costs and improved conditions.

2. Creation of new Australian Teacher of the Year Awards.
Helpful to raise the status of teaching and recognise efforts in existing workforce, but they should cover each area including technologies.
Should be equivalent to Prime Minister's Prize for Teaching Science, or risk rewarding one learning area above others.

3. Encourage members of the public to nominate teachers for Medals of the Order of Australia.
Helpful to raise the status of teaching if many teachers are awarded. But could be considered tokenistic if not matched with real efforts to recruit, train and support teachers throughout their careers.

4. Targets to increase the number of classroom teachers recognised as high achieving and highly accomplished
What is the actual benefit of this to teachers and their students?
Due to teacher shortages, increased teacher workloads mean that busy teachers will not have time for this and it doesn’t help to support new or out-of-field teachers which is where the real action is needed.

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?

5. More teaching places at universities in the right subjects and specialisations.
Many universities have Technologies specialisations in their prospectus but these courses don’t run due to a lack of demand from people wishing to become a Technologies Teacher.

6. 5,000 bursaries worth up to $40,000 each to help attract our best and brightest to the teaching profession.
Significant financial assistance is required across a range of areas, particularly for those transitioning from another career. Does this amount cover the cost of retraining to be a teacher in all states and territories? How long do teacher candidates need to wait until they can earn? Loss of earnings are a massive barrier for those considering teaching as a career.

7. 1,500 more places in the High Achieving Teachers program to encourage more professionals to switch careers to teaching.
Much more support, especially financial, is required to assist the transition to teaching from existing careers, especially in Technologies. Can teachers earn while they learn through this scheme?

8. Trial new ways of attracting and keeping teachers in the schools that need them most.
Financial assistance to train/retrain as a teacher
Earn while you learn to support those transitioning from existing careers
Reduce workloads and improve conditions (more time for lesson prep, school admin tasks and student feedback)
Better long-term support and professional development through schools and teachers' associations.

9. Prioritise visa processing for qualified teachers and prioritise teachers from State and Territory nominated visa allocations.
Requires targeting of specialist areas and recruitment campaigns to attract overseas teachers. Global shortages would suggest that this is a limited solution compared to recruiting and training domestic teachers.

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?

10. The Teacher Education Expert Panel, led by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sydney, Professor Mark Scott, is reviewing initial teacher education and will recommend ways to boost graduation rates, and broadly ensure graduating teachers are better prepared for the classroom through:
ITE is not nearly as much of a problem as ongoing professional development to support new and existing teachers, especially for out-of-field teachers in specialist areas. Teachers' associations need significant financial and support and resources to ensure ongoing, practical support to those teachers who need it.

11. Recognise previous study, work experience and skills that may be transferable to teaching
Yes, but this needs to done carefully in a range of specialist areas so that it is not too restrictive. Currently, VIT requirements in Victoria don’t recognise a range of suitable experience and qualifications to become candidates for Technology teaching. This prior experience should also be reflected in teacher salaries as many have to accept a drop in income to become teachers.

12. Co-design actions to attract and retain more First Nations teachers.
Yes, this is sorely needed. But we also need comprehensive and accessible professional development for how non-indigenous educators can teach indigenous culture and history in ethical and respectful ways in a range of contexts.

13. All teaching students will undergo initial assessment of their literacy and numeracy skills in their first year to ensure they can receive targeted support if they need it.
Yes, many students would benefit from targeted support and multiple opportunities to take the LANTITE much earlier in their teacher training journey.

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?

14. Pilot new approaches to reduce teacher workload ...
Not all teachers have the same workload. Technologies teachers have the same teaching and admin role as others but also have to manage workshop facilities, equipment and materials whilst meeting strict OH&S requirements.
All schools should have a Technologies assistant/technican to assist teachers with these extra responsibilities and to ensure the focus of teachers is totally on student learning and safety.
More teaching assistants and technicians across all schools is actually the most effective way of reducing workload during a teacher shortage, as many of those teaching assistants and technicians go on to become teachers themselves.

15. Build on work already underway ...
Teachers need adequate time to plan and prepare for each lesson. Supplying pre-pared resources will not help this as they still have studied and modified for each session. Teachers always tailor lessons and resources for the students they are actually teaching, there is no shortcut here. Teaching assistants can help with this activity.

16. Examine how to support implementation of the national curriculum ...
Once a teacher has qualified from university ongoing professional development is mainly through their own school or teachers' associations. Schools struggle to support specialist learning areas due to lack of teachers in these areas, therefore focused support teachers associations would help to improve standards of all curriculum implementation.

17. Each initiative in the next National School Reform Agreement...
How will teachers be supported to take part in this when they are already so busy?
Teachers' associations can provide expert and detailed feedback on each initiative.

18. Identify the most effective use of initial teacher education students...
An increase in the use of teaching assistants and technicians in all schools and areas will help to reduce teacher workload and increase the number of those entering the teaching profession.

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?

Very effective

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

19. Develop and publish nationally consistent teacher workforce projections...
Workforce data on specific learning areas is currently very sparse and often unclear.
Technologies is routinely excluded from STEM education data and this data is often retrieved through tracking advertised roles in government schools. Many schools do not advertise for roles they know they can’t fill, so they remove the hard-to-fill learning area from their school's curriculum.
Teachers' associations have had to survey their own members to identify the real situation in most schools. https://dattaaustralia.com/technologies-teacher-shortage/

20. Develop and publish nationally consistent ITE graduate supply data...
This would be very helpful. Associated targets would help to drive action in each state and territory.

21. Establish a National Quality Framework to guide Teacher Regulatory Authorities...
VIT in Victoria doesn’t recognise many suitable backgrounds and qualifications as meeting standards for becoming a Technologies teacher, so progressive and regularly updated national standards would be helpful.

22. Prioritise conditional or provisional registration to increase the supply of teachers.
This must be accompanied by adequate financial support and teacher training for provisional or conditional teachers. There would also be a workload increase to consider for mentoring teachers.
Teachers' associations could also paly a role in finding places and allocating mentors in areas of need.

23. Develop and publish comprehensive data about why teachers leave the profession...
The impact of teacher workload is already widely recognised and understood.
Each school needs more staff to deliver high quality education, support teachers or technicians could be a helpful way to assist, especially if they are then encouraged and supported to become teachers.
More ongoing support, especially for out-of-field teachers in specialists areas through teachers’ associations, would help to ensure teachers have the necessary knowledge skills and resources they need throughout their careers.

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?

24. Develop and support career pathways which value teachers and reflect transitions in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers.
How can expert and leading teachers better support new and out-of-field teachers? This is work that is already undertaken in teachers' associations and needs to be recognised and supported.
Let's also assume that career pathways start from support teachers, technicians and career transition candidates rather than just traditional pathways.

25. Develop national guidelines to support early career teachers and new school leaders including mentoring and induction.
Mentors need to be supported and not have this added to their workload.
Many leaders develop their skills outwith schools through running sate and national professional development sessions and conferences for teachers through teachers' associations. Increasing support for associations increases opportunity for career development throughout the education sector.

26. Improve access to high-quality First Nations’ cultural competency resources to ensure teachers are better prepared to teach First Nations peoples in culturally safe ways.
This absolutely needs attention. There is also a desperate need for accessible and comprehensive training for non-ingenious teachers on how to incorporate indigenous culture and history in ethical and respectful ways.

27. Streamline HALT accreditation processes to make it less burdensome for teachers to be accredited and incorporate recognition of equivalent qualification and certification processes.
This should be done in ongoing consultation with expert bodies for each learning area like teachers' associations to ensure the accreditation is up to date and fit for purpose.

28. Develop micro-credentials and expand the Quality Teaching Rounds (QTR) to enhance teachers’ access to quality professional development
Micro-credentials are a great way to upskill and recognise the increased competence of teachers. Needs to be standardised nationally and linked to teachers associations who provide the bulk of ongoing professional development opportunities outside of schools, especially in specialist areas.