The Australian Institue for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is unrepresentative of the teaching profession and does not have a legitimate role in dictating classroom practice.
Chris Watt, Independent Education Union of Australia Federal Secretary, said comments attributed to the new deputy chair of AITSL for a more “interventionist” approach massively oversteps the promotional responsibilities of the company.
“Not a single member of the AITSL Board has been put there by practising teachers and therefore has no legitimacy in deciding what teaching practices professional should use in the classroom,” Mr Watt said.
“If one looks at medicine and law as suggested by the Deputy Chair we see the profession in control of the profession,” he said.
“It is a nonsense that professions like medicine, law, nursing and engineers have their own professional body but teachers remain the playthings of government policy and determination.”
“Teachers deserve a registration and accreditation authority that is of, by and for the profession.
“Current state and national bodies engaged in “regulating” the teaching profession are not professional authorities. Teachers aren’t even majority stakeholders on these authorities.
The IEU supports evidence-based teaching and learning, but will not accept direction by an Institute with no legitimate standing in the profession.