A Political Exercise at the Expense of the Profession

”By all means encourage under-graduates or people in other careers to take up teaching, but it is entirely offensive to label the teaching profession generally, and current under-graduates and beginning teachers in particular, as ‘last ditch options’” said Chris Watt, Federal Secretary of the Independent Education Union of Australia.

“Perhaps Opposition spokesperson Mr Smith needs to choose his words more carefully because it is patently untrue that Australia is only “recruiting its teachers from the bottom third of graduates from our school system, rather than the top”.

“Many school leavers with some of the highest tertiary entry scores continue to choose teaching as a career.”

“Additionally, Mr Smith should acquaint himself with the actual demographics of students entering teacher education courses” said Mr Watt.  “Less than one quarter come directly from completing their final year of secondary schooling, over one third have completed another higher education course and a further quarter either commended another tertiary course and changed their program or entered as mature age students”

“The question is, has Mr Smith’s ‘last ditch option’ comment been anything more than a cursory observation of the reality”

“Perhaps Mr Smith had also not noticed that Australian students’ results on international student assessments such as PISA and TIMMS continually place our students among the top performing nations. We are a top performer Mr Smith”

“Mr Smith also needs to do his homework in relation to teacher salaries.  His ‘generous’statement  about paying the best teachers up to $100,000 is trite” said Mr Watt.

“Some IEU members, who are deemed ‘Excellent Teachers’ against formally recognised Standards, already have union collective agreements that will provide for salaries up to $94,000.”

“There is no question that greater resources need to be committed to education to attract and retain the best teachers, it’s a pity that the last decade of opportunity in that regard was wasted” said Mr Watt

Contact

Chris Watt                                                       0419259143

Federal Secretary                                            02 6273 3107