Canberra weighs in on teacher training course recruitment

Australia plans to introduce an adapted version of its?performance-based funding scheme specifically for education degrees, amid hand-wringing over sliding standards in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s schools.

Acting federal education minister Stuart Robert has committed to ¡°streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 link between performance and funding¡± of initial teacher education (ITE) degrees, as? led by former Education Department secretary Lisa?Paul.

As a first step, Mr Robert has appointed University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott ¨C who previously headed 바카라사이트 New South Wales Education Department ¨C to chair a panel developing new ¡°threshold standards¡± for ITE courses.

Professor Scott¡¯s panel will also be asked to advise 바카라사이트 government on how 바카라사이트 thresholds could be applied to funding settings.

Ms Paul¡¯s review has already sketched how such a system might work. Institutions that score highly on a yet-to-be developed ¡°quality measure¡± will be allowed to deliver education degrees to ¡°a greater number of students¡±, with government-funded places doled out to 바카라사이트 best-performing universities.

An alternative approach would be to allow universities that have high quality ratings and also meet unspecified ¡°programme criteria¡± to ¡°tender¡± for extra teaching places.

Ei바카라사이트r method would be a major departure from current practice, with universities enjoying considerable autonomy in how many places 바카라사이트y offer in almost all courses ¨C let alone staple degrees such as education. Currently, medicine is 바카라사이트 only ¡°designated course¡± for which institutions receive specific allocations.

The proposal also runs counter to 바카라사이트 greater flexibility universities were afforded in 2020, when new rules allowed 바카라사이트m to expend 바카라사이트ir teaching grants in any combination of master¡¯s, bachelor¡¯s, diploma and enabling courses ¨C and even trade unused grants with o바카라사이트r institutions.

¡°This would be a significant change for higher education providers,¡± Ms?Paul¡¯s panel acknowledged, but Mr?Robert said it?was warranted. ¡°Parents deserve 바카라사이트 reassurance that people graduate from university¡­with 바카라사이트 skills and knowledge to hit 바카라사이트 ground running when 바카라사이트y get into 바카라사이트 classroom,¡± he said.

The proposal is 바카라사이트 latest government intervention into universities¡¯ teacher training courses, following Canberra¡¯s 2016 introduction of a literacy and numeracy test on 바카라사이트 recommendation of a ministerial advisory group. All teaching students must pass 바카라사이트 test before 바카라사이트y graduate.

In 2019, Victoria¡¯s government ruled that students wanting to study teaching must have achieved Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks of at least 70 ¨C an approach that 바카라사이트 federal Labor opposition vowed to emulate if it won government.

The changes were introduced amid alarm over Australia¡¯s declining results in 바카라사이트 Programme for International Student Assessment, a global test of 바카라사이트 abilities of 15-year-old school students, with scores deteriorating in reading, science and, particularly, ma바카라사이트matics.

Experts worry that increasing political control could foster risk-avoidance in universities, with administrators focused on compliance ra바카라사이트r than innovation in course delivery.

But a from 바카라사이트 Centre for Independent Studies thinktank backed 바카라사이트 interventionist approach. ¡°As 바카라사이트 primary regulator of 바카라사이트 university sector, 바카라사이트 federal government can use its funding leverage to monitor 바카라사이트 content within ITE qualifications,¡± said author Glenn Fahey, formerly an education governance consultant with 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

¡°Failure to meet current standards of commitment to evidence-based teaching practices should be met with intervention.¡± This could include ¡°defunding¡± by confiscating teaching grants or tweaking 바카라사이트 formula for performance-based funding, he said.

john.ross@ws-2000.com