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Media Release
STRENGTHENING THE TEACHING PROFESSION: LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR QUALITY TEACHING AND SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
June 3 2004 MIN 721/04
Today I launched the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership (NIQTSL). This is an important Institute that aims to raise the status, quality and professionalism of teachers and school leaders throughout Australia.
The Howard Government has provided $10 million towards the establishment and operation of the Institute, which will be based in Canberra at the Australian National University.
Teachers and school leaders will be operating the Institute on behalf of their profession, ensuring that it will be run by the profession for the profession.
The Institute will have four key functions:
Professional standards development
As the national professional body, the NIQTSL will support the implementation of the National Framework for Professional Standards for Teaching agreed by MCEETYA in 2003 and facilitate the development and implementation of nationally agreed teaching and leadership standards. Accreditation of quality teachers and school leaders against these standards will make a significant contribution to enhancing the status of the profession.
Professional learning for school leaders and classroom teachers
Professional learning is universally recognised as being fundamental to improving teacher knowledge and skills. The Institute will have an important role in the facilitation and co-ordination of professional development courses as well as providing a quality assurance role of these courses. It will also have a role in quality assuring university teaching courses.
Research and communication
The Institute will initiate and draw on research that supports the core role of providing intellectual leadership for and on behalf of the profession. It will actively communicate the research findings to classroom teachers and leaders in a form that can be utilised in their day to day work. It will also communicate the research findings to the education community, among policy makers and in the community more generally. The involvement of universities will enhance the NIQTSL’s capacity for research.
Promotion of the profession
All teachers should seek to advance the standing and quality of their profession. Through the NIQTSL teachers and school leaders will gain a national voice and an ability to influence the national education professional agenda. Through the promotion of the profession, the education community will be able to define, develop and celebrate its successes, increasing public awareness of all that is required to be a successful teacher in the twenty first century.
These functions will complement and add value to the support already being provided for teachers and school leaders at the State and Territory level.
Extensive consultations with the profession and key interest groups have helped shape its roles and functions. Ninety-two groups provided direct input via discussion and sixty-six submissions were received in response to the issues paper, ‘Establishing the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership’.
The governance structure will ensure that the Institute will be managed by the profession for the profession. There will be fifteen voting members of the interim Board, of which 11 members will be drawn from the profession. The other four will consist of the Chair, a nomination from each of the Australian Council of Deans of Education, the Australian Forum of Teacher Registration and Accreditation Authorities, and an educational expert nominated by the Australian Government Minister for Education.
There will also be an advisory council which will consist of a broader group of educational stakeholders. This group will provide key links to important educational bodies and provide timely advice to the Board and the Chair. (See attachment A for details)
Dr Gregor Ramsey will be appointed the Interim Chair of the Institute, and brings to the role a long and distinguished career in education in both the secondary and tertiary sectors. Dr Ramsey was also a member of the consortia of consultants that worked with the profession to articulate the Institute’s strategy. I would like to thank Dr Ramsay for taking on this vital position and expect that his outstanding commitment and dedication to teaching will help drive the Institute’s objectives.
Today’s launch continues the Howard Government’s efforts to improve the quality and status of school teaching and leadership. Other measures include the allocation of $159 million to support teacher professional development; supporting universities with an additional $109 million for the practical components of teaching courses and; providing $38 million towards supporting the findings of the independent Review of Teaching and Teacher Education.
I will shortly be writing to all teachers, through their school principals, with more information about the Institute.
Further details about the NIQTSL are available by calling 1800 337 872.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Ross Hampton 0419 484 095
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Laila Lacis 0412 040 034
Attachment A
Interim Board
1 Interim Chair appointed by the Minister
11 members from the profession:
- 4 nominated by the key principals’ associations and 1 from the Australian Council of Educational Leaders
- 5 nominated by Australian Joint Council of Teacher Professional Associations
- 1 nominated by the Australian College of Educators
3 from other organisations:
- 1 nominated by the Australian Council of Deans of Education
- 1 nominated by the Australasian Forum of Teacher Registration and Accreditation Authorities
- 1 eminent educational expert nominated by the Minister
4 non-voting members from employer groups and DEST:
- 1 nominated by the Australian Education Systems Officials Committee
- 1 nominated by the National Catholic Education Commission
- 1 nominated by the Independent Schools Council of Australia
- 1 from the Australian Government Department of Education Science and Training
Interim Council
The Council would be constituted by the Interim Board from key stakeholder groups and would include representatives of each of the following:
- Australian Council of Educational Research (1 nominee)
- Australian Parents Council (1 nominee)
- Australian Council of State School Organisations (1 nominee)
- MCEETYA Teacher Quality and Educational Leadership Taskforce (1 nominee)
- Canberra based universities (3 nominees)
- Australian Education Union (1 nominee) and Independent Education Union (1 nominee)
- Professions Australia (1 nominee)
- The St James Ethics Centre (1 nominee)
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