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Experts question minister’s call for a review into the quality of teacher education courses
Three of Australia’s teacher education experts have questioned statements made by education minister Alan Tudge that a review is needed into initial teacher education (ITE) courses and that some beginning teachers are not equipped for the classroom because they are taught too much theory in lieu of practice.
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I would treat with quite some scepticism a Minister who makes such comments after a tenure equivalent to five minutes in the role of Education Minister. As a university advisor to pre-service teachers on practicums in primary schools, I have been very impressed with the teaching strategies and content knowledge of students in or approaching their final year of training and more importantly, the engagement they harness from the students they are teaching.
Personally, his views are not worth me noting.
I would encourage the government Minster to adjust the weekly face to face contact time for teachers in their initial year of teaching. This would provide the opportunity for those beginning their teaching career to have quality time to understand their own individual needs while balancing their classroom teaching strategies, the demand for individual student programmes based on knowing their students, the administration requirements for accreditation, the school duties and establishing their interactions with parents and colleagues and most importantly their life/work balance. After 40 years teaching in secondary schools where I observed the lack of support for beginning teachers who were overwhelmed with the workload and consequently abandoned this career. Teacher accountability and increased administrative responsibilities have thwarted many university course preparations for teaching.