Principals around Australia have spoken out against the Federal Government’s announcement over the weekend that it will launch a national review of teacher registration.
The review, announced on Saturday, will focus on the registration of early childhood teachers, training teachers in schools as well as how new teachers transition into the profession.
However, NSW Secondary Principals Council (NSWSPC) president, Chris Presland, said NSW already has a “very authentic” teacher registration system in place for the state’s teachers.
“We would certainly not want to see anything that weakens the value or authenticity of this system,” Presland told The Educator.
“Beyond that, we’re happy to see whether or not we can create anything beyond what our state is doing, but not at the expense of what’s already in place.”
The Australian Secondary Principals Association (ASPA) president, Andrew Pierpoint, said teacher registration nationally should have similar categories and requirements to be met in each state and territory “at the very least”.
“Now inconsistencies allow people to gain registration in one state and transfer to another without necessarily meeting the requirements of that state and this must be addressed,” Pierpoint said in a statement.
“The current system for Teacher Registration is fragmented and inconsistent and we look forward to engaging with the expert panel during the consultation process”.
Berwick Lodge Primary School principal, Henry Grossek, said the review was “insulting to the teaching profession”.
Grossek questioned the government’s suggestion that having former tradies or nurses as teachers could “bring more perspective into classrooms”.
“Let’s take tradies, for example. We’re not exactly over-endowed with a lot of high-class tradies at the moment, so which tradies are they talking about?” Grossek told The Educator.
“Are they talking about the small pool of highly talented tradies coming across? We can’t afford to lose them from the trade. Or are they talking about people who aren’t doing well in the trade and want to become teachers? Do we really want those people in our classrooms?”
Grossek said there is very little support from within the teaching profession, which has criticised the Federal Government’s announcement.
“Who is the Federal Government listening to when the profession certainly wouldn’t be telling them: ‘do it this way’? I don’t think the government has a credible answer for that.”
NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) president, Maurie Mulheron, said the announcement was "an outrageous attack on the teaching profession".
"This is about lowering the standards and status of teaching," Mulheron told The Educator.
"We are opposed to it and will resist it with all the resources at our disposal."
Mulheron said the education system needs to be increasing entry standards of those entering classrooms to teach.
"Teaching is now more complex and needs the best and brightest candidates with a proper qualification," he said.
Queensland Secondary Principals Association (QSPA) president, Mark Breckenridge, said the association looks forward to engaging with the government’s expert panel during the consultation process.
“Movement across sates is common practice. Currently, people can gain registration in one state and transfer to another without necessarily meeting the requirements of that state and this must be addressed,” Breckenridge told The Educator.
“It makes sense that registration is consistent across state and territory jurisdictions.”
South Australian Secondary Principals Association (SASPA) president, Peter Mader, also supports the review.
"For jurisdictions experiencing a shortage of high-quality teachers, a review of the nation’s Teacher Registration provisions will be most welcome," Mader told The Educator.
"In South Australia, teacher supply is exceeding vacancy demand. Therefore, SASPA is interested in government interventions that will make teaching a more attractive vocation for the best and brightest graduates from our schools."
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