The Australian Government and state and territory education ministers have committed to addressing the teacher supply issue with a nationwide data solution.
Ministers have commissioned the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to work with States and Territories to build a national solution.
It will provide a clear view on where teaching students are studying, how well their course prepares them for the classroom and where they are.
Edmund Misson, AITSL Deputy Chief Executive Officer, welcomed a new report from the Australian Council for Educational Research, which shows how a growing trend towards online learning for teaching courses creates the need for a national approach to teacher workforce planning.
“Online learning is a global trend which is driven by technology and students’ preferences. However as this trend grows, it can become a workforce planning problem for states. This national teacher education and workforce data solution is the first of its kind in Australia, and will give us a view of a teaching student living in Sydney who is studying online at a Victorian university and ends up starting a teaching role in Perth,” Mr Misson said.
AITSL is also leading implementation of revised and strengthened national accreditation of teaching courses. Online teacher education programs must meet rigorous standards, regardless of where the university is located or how the program is delivered, with the aim of creating more classroom-ready teaching graduates.
“Ensuring we have a supply of highly skilled, classroom-ready teachers is a national priority, requiring a national perspective. This is a great example of how the Australian Government and states and territories can work together towards a stronger school education system, with more targeted investment so we can collectively focus on what matters most – improving student learning in the classroom.”