6 March 2019
Teach For Australia on the Status of the Teaching Profession Inquiry
As a nation of “fair go”, Australians should aspire to a fair society in which every student can realise their potential. As it stands, not all students are receiving the educational opportunities that they need to reach this goal.
Quality teachers can make all the difference for students – but, unfortunately many of Australia’s most capable individuals don’t consider teaching as a career choice, and only 40 per cent of Australian teachers believe that teaching is valued by society. To explore this issue further, the Minister for Education, the Hon Dan Tehan MP called for an inquiry into the status of the teaching profession on 15 November 2018. Teach For Australia welcomed this opportunity to contribute to the national discussion about the vital role that teachers and school leaders play in our community, economy and society.
Our submission to the inquiry shares the insights we have generated over the past ten years successfully attracting, developing, supporting and retaining high-impact teachers. Key recommendations from the submission include:
- Attracting top talent into teaching. We believe that the opportunity to work with students is a privilege, and we attract highly accomplished individuals wanting to take up a challenge and contribute to solving the wicked problem of educational inequity.
- Giving early career teacher the support they require to thrive – not just survive. Teach For Australia provides all Associates with a comprehensive network to support their professional development as teachers and leaders, and to maintain their health and well-being.
- Recognising teaching as leadership. High quality teachers must be equipped with the skills and mindsets to be a leader in their classroom.
No one group or entity can improve the quality and status of teachers on their own. The Federal, State and Territory Governments, universities, schools, families, community organisations, corporate and philanthropic institutions are all critical in creating ideal learning environments for Australia’s young people, both inside and outside of schools, in order to add value to the work of teachers and school leaders.
Improving the status of teaching is complex and multi-faceted, but the reward would be immense.