Page 4021 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 16 Sept 2009
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rewarded. As I say, we want the best teachers in the classroom teaching. This is why the government is also reviewing our school-based management system to reduce administrative burdens on executive teachers so that they can focus on curriculum development, the school’s literacy and numeracy outcomes and lesson plans. All school leaders are educational leaders and quality teachers.
So how will we achieve these ambitious reforms? How will we make sure that the ACT leads the country in teacher quality? First, we will establish a teacher quality institute. The institute will be responsible for teacher registration, ensuring teacher qualifications meet new minimum national standards, accrediting teacher training courses delivered in the ACT and delivering leadership standards. The institute will make sure that every teacher in every government, Catholic and independent school across the ACT meets the new national standards for training and experience.
This is another great example that the old public-private debate is over. The institute will also work collaboratively with our new school centres of teacher education and excellence. These centres will promote better practice and enhance creativity in teaching practice. The institute is scheduled to open in 2011. Consultation in 2007 and 2008 made it clear that parents want teacher registration and measurable professional standards for ACT teachers. The teacher quality institute delivers on this.
Secondly, through our smarter schools national partnerships, we will work with the commonwealth to develop a set of nationally consistent professional teaching standards. These standards will provide a framework for recognising and rewarding high-quality teachers. I am pleased to report that these reforms have been embraced with a high level of goodwill, cooperation and enthusiasm by the public system, the Catholic Education Office and the Association of Independent Schools. I believe that this represents a tremendous opportunity for a collaborative working arrangement on this broad range of reforms to improve teacher quality in all ACT schools.
Thirdly, the ACT government is already establishing strategic partnerships with local universities to improve the quality of teacher education and pre-service training. Fourthly, we have a more targeted approach to the professional development of our principals and school leaders. We are emphasising the importance of succession planning in our public schools and training our deputy principals to be innovative and energetic leaders. Fifthly, a teacher education committee will be established to provide advice and proposals on the development of alternative pathways into the teaching profession.
The government values the passion and commitment that our teachers have, and the best teachers should be rewarded for their efforts. Across our ACT education system I hear many stories of young, energetic teachers developing lesson plans for their entire teaching departments. It is great training for new teachers, but as soon as those teachers start to feel like they are carrying the load for others without any additional support or recognition, quality teaching will decline.
A recent Gerard Daniels report Rewarding quality teaching states, “Well-structured rewards are a critical factor in retaining good teachers and building the status of the teaching profession.” Through qualitative research with key education stakeholders,
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