Anonymous #410

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #410

Where are you located?

South Australia

What type of area do you live in?

Remote

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

Yes

Which sector do you work in?

Early childhood education and care,Primary,Secondary,Special education

What is your occupation?

Leader in department for education - corporate sector.

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.

Neither agree nor disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Teaching students need a greater understanding of current best practice, resources available and high impact teaching strategies.
They need to understand how to write individual learning plans for students with disabilities/learning difficulties.
They need to better understand the system that they will be working in.
Universities are academic, and focus on academic rigour, rather than the knowledge and skills teaching students need to be successful.

Maximising the time to teach

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

Somewhat disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

This is what needs to happen:
Teachers should not be required to undertake yard duties (or any supervision during break time). As this is purely supervision, it can be undertaken by paraprofessionals such as SSOs. This would enable teachers to have a few precious minutes to themselves every day.
In relation to providing more flexible working arrangements for teachers: at the moment, teachers are given non-instructional time (where they are not required to teach face-to-face) across the week. They are required to stay on school grounds during this time. As many other professions have some flexibility in working arrangements, this is possible for teachers. A full time teacher should be given one full day of release time (rather than shorter periods across the week). Further, as professionals, teachers should then be given the option to work from home on that day, and trusted that they will do what they need to do. This would support the workload issues that full time teachers struggle with, and give them more flexibility in their working arrangements. Obviously, principals could request that teachers work on site for periods if there was something specific that needs to be done, but generally teachers should be free to use this time as they see fit.
These two adjustments to current practices would reduce workload and provide teachers with flexibility they do not currently enjoy and would go a long way to addressing the workload issues, for minimal additional cost.

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?

Slightly effective

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

To attract teachers to the country, you need to offer:
- free housing
- paid trips back to Adelaide - at the very least twice a term, but up to weekly where flights allow. So a flight back to Adeliade on Friday afternoon and a flight back to their placement on Sunday night/Monday morning.

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?