Testing the teaching profession

Teaching is essential but keeping teachers is hard and a new parliamentary inquiry into the profession will seek to find out how those in the profession can be made happy and fulfilled.

Some of the areas investigated will be: inflexible curriculum delivery; periodic reporting and assessment practices; a lack of evidenced-based research; an absence of readily-available class room applications; time pressures for teachers and principals; and a lack of support for school principals to develop professional autonomy.

The House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training announced the inquiry into the Status of the Teaching Profession this week.

Committee Chair Andrew Laming MP said the inquiry will seek to identify what it takes for Australia to have a world-class education system.

“Australia’s teachers inspire, engage and challenge students to be the best they can. Although there are more teachers in Australia than ever, the attrition rate from the profession is rising,” Laming said.

“This inquiry will examine ways to develop proper career structures and pathways for teachers to ensure that the profession remains fulfilling and rewarding for educators.  In addition, the inquiry will examine how teachers can be better supported within classrooms and schools more generally, to minimise the amount of time that is spent undertaking out-of-hours work”.

Laming explained that the Committee would seek to build on significant work already done in this area, and will consider relevant outcomes from two key reports — Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools and Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers — as well as current state and territory reforms.

The Committee is accepting written submissions until Friday 21 December 2018.

Terms of Reference for the inquiry are available on the inquiry webpage and information about how to make a submission is available on the Parliament of Australia webpage.