One of the biggest drawbacks to education in Australia and one of the biggest challenges faced by schools has to do with teacher training. In a recent column in ‘The Weekend Australian’ (25&26/2) education writer Natasha Bita wrote that universities must learn to lift the quality of teacher training. She wrote that low expectations for teacher training were established decades ago. She was alluding to training of the 1960’s and 1970’s being replaced by degree courses at universities, which concentrated on the degree rather than content instilling teaching methods and teacher readiness for the school classroom.

Bita indicated that  “teacher training is set for a shake up as the federal government prepares to weed out students with poor literacy and lure top ranked school leavers … into classroom teaching.”  

After reading Bita’s column I recalled advice offered Year 11 students at my son’s school toward the end of 1988. Officers from the (then) Commonwealth Department of Education were visiting to advise students on how much application and effort Year 12 would require in order to satisfy tertiary entrance requirements.

The group talked metaphorically, creating an ‘expectational ladder’ for students to contemplate. Top rung students with exceptional TER scores could consider dentistry and medicine. The advisers talked of ‘down the ladder’ scores in the 80 and 70 percentile range. A score of 60 was described as an absolute cut-off, allowing students to consider basic accountancy.

A group member then added, “but if you get less than a score of 60, there is always teaching!”.

This advocacy foisted on Australia far too many graduate teachers who were mediocre at best. The contributions  of good teachers have been diluted by the teaching efforts of mediocre colleagues. Sadly, far too many students have suffered at the hands of inept teachers.  

I am really hoping that universities accept the advice on lifting and strengthening teacher training contained in the review reported upon by Bita.  Heaven knows this cannot happen soon enough.