Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research and Minister for Small Business. Will the minister outline the government's plans to improve the quality of teachers graduating from our universities. Why is it important that we keep lifting teacher standards across the country?

Chris Bowen (McMahon, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Small Business) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Parramatta for her question. Yesterday the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth and I were at the very impressive Macarthur Girls High School in Parramatta to announce our reforms to the quality of teacher training in Australia. Across Australia we have many thousands of dedicated and talented teachers, but, of course, we want to make sure we have the best possible teacher training in place for the future. That is why yesterday we announced the introduction of new, more rigorous standards for teacher training courses—to improve the quality of teachers graduating from universities in Australia. We want to improve the quality of our university teaching courses to make sure teachers have the required skills to be effective teachers, role models and leaders of our future generations. The four elements of the plan that the minister for school education and I announced yesterday are: more rigorous and targeted processes for admission into teaching courses; new literacy and numeracy tests that each student wanting to teach in Australia will need to pass before they are allowed to teach to ensure that they are in the top 30 per cent of literacy and numeracy; a national approach to teacher pracs so that teachers have the best possible classroom experience before they are admitted to teaching; and a review of teaching courses by the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.

These measures will be implemented in close consultation with Universities Australia and with independent, individual universities. I am pleased with the strong support from universities that has been given to this plan. Universities have also made it clear that they oppose the announcements made recently by the New South Wales government in this space. Universities recognise that, while an ATAR or a HSC result is an important indicator of somebody's ability, it is not the only indicator. There is more that goes into determining a good teacher—including passion, commitment, empathy and a dedication to education. So, I do welcome the support of Universities Australia, the New South Wales Vice-Chancellors Group and the Australian Council of Deans of Education, who have all backed the announcements made by Minister Garrett and me yesterday.

We know that teachers can and do move between states and jurisdictions, and so a national approach is important. We also know that an ATAR cut-off is not the best indicator of who can be a great teacher. The New South Wales government's plans would be a retrograde step. But the measures we announced yesterday are not a retrograde step. They are a positive and forward approach, which ensures that our teachers will continue to be dedicated, committed and amongst the best trained in the world.

Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I ask that further questions be placed on the Notice Paper.