All children have the capacity to learn and succeed.
Too often though, destiny is determined by the postcode you’re born in.
In Australia, children from low income households are almost three years behind students from high income households. Fortunately, it is possible for students to catch up. Quality teaching and school leadership are critical contributors to breaking the cycle of disadvantage.
This April on SBS, Testing Teachers will follow the experience of six Teach For Australia teachers in their first years of teaching as they confront Australia’s education gap head on.
A new SBS three-part documentary series will explore the wide and varied challenges facing students, teachers and schools in low socioeconomic communities.
Follow Emmanuel, Fiona, Kitty, Sasha, Stephanie and Will who teach across three schools in outer metropolitan and remote Australia. The documentary captures their experiences across 12 months of completing our two-year teacher training and leadership program.
There will be challenges but each teacher is supported by experienced colleagues, professionals and others who you’ll meet along the way. The teachers are also equipped with key competencies, such as resilience and a commitment to making a difference in children’s lives.
Hear Felicity discuss her work supporting the teachers at Southern River College.
Listen here“But it’s the people, their journeys… that will keep us coming back for more.”
Read moreRead the latest interview with Kitty ahead of Testing Teachers going to air.
Read moreIn Australia today, the postcode you’re born in can radically impact your entire future.
Watch this animation for a snapshot of educational disadvantage in Australia:
Children who are from low socioeconomic backgrounds, are Indigenous Australians, from a rural or remote community or from a refugee or asylum seeker background are more likely to face additional barriers that impact on what they can achieve at school and in life.
Without addressing the barriers these students face, the gap in academic achievement often grows over the course of their education.
Can your postcode determine your level of education?
Read moreEducation disadvantage is not a characteristic. It’s not something a child chooses.
Read moreChris, Teach For Australia Alumnus, blogs on the economic forces at play.
Read moreDespite the barriers that children from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds face, it is possible for them to catch up. Quality teaching and school leadership are key.
In Australia, students taught by the highest performing teachers have been found to learn as much in six months as what the lowest performing teachers accomplish in a year (Leigh, 2010).
We need high-quality teachers in classrooms and strong individuals leading our schools who are dedicated to supporting students to succeed.
To support teachers and leaders, as a country we need to:
Read more about Alumnus, Al’s, experience since changing career from engineer to teacher.
Read moreLearn more about the impact of student and teacher expectations on achievement.
ListenWhat one thing can you do to talk teachers up and show them we care?
Read moreIt’s possible for students from educationally disadvantaged communities to catch up.
Read moreWhat is it and why does it matter? Listen to our latest podcast to find out.
Listen“I need to appreciate that my students are performing in a second language…”.
Read moreBowman, 2016 Cohort, blogs for The Huffington Post Australia.
Read moreCindy, 2016 Cohort, blogs on why it’s the small wins that really matter.
Read moreListen to an interview between a principal and his student on the topic of leadership.
Listen