Page 831 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 18 March 2015
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Other great examples of the ACT leading the way include: the introduction of literacy and numeracy testing to teacher recruitment in the directorate; the ACT teacher mentor program; the Macquarie Primary School-UC teaching and research clinics; and the common TQI platform for teachers’ portfolios. I am particularly interested in improving the practicum experience and building university and school partnerships.
The TQI will lead and coordinate the ACT implementation. The TQI was established to improve teacher quality and to enhance the status of our teaching profession. It has a fine record of working collaboratively with all education stakeholders in the ACT. This work complements the work that I have already asked the TQI to undertake on professional experience.
I have absolute confidence that the TQI, and the teaching profession as a whole, will rise to the challenge and improve quality. Every teacher that I have met has a great passion for their profession and an absolute commitment to do their best each and every day in the classroom.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Ms Porter.
MS PORTER: Minister, could you talk further on the role the Teacher Quality Institute and mandatory professional registration play in relation to teacher quality and how the TQI is working with universities to ensure all pre-service teachers are of the highest level of professionalism and are school ready?
MS BURCH: The Teacher Quality Institute was established to improve teacher quality and to enhance the status of the teaching profession. One of its key regulatory responsibilities is to register all teachers seeking to work in ACT schools. This ensures that our teachers are appropriately qualified and continue to uphold the standards of the teaching profession.
The maintenance of teacher registration is dependent on active engagement in ongoing professional learning that must be closely aligned with the Australian professional standards for teachers or the Australian professional standards for principals. Schools and teachers can determine the professional learning that best fits with the needs of the school and the individual teacher. Through its accreditation of professional learning, the institute is continuing to raise the bar for teacher quality in the ACT. The 2007 House of Representatives report Top of the Class noted that “ensuring high quality teacher education is a first and critical step in delivering high quality teaching in schools”.
The TQI is the only body authorised to accredit initial teacher education programs in the ACT. The procedures for the accreditation are nationally agreed. Students graduating from initial teacher education programs must have been assessed as meeting the graduate level of the Australian professional standards for teachers and must have completed a minimum amount of professional experience in schools. The minimum for graduate level programs is 60 days, and it is 80 days for undergraduate programs.
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