$30 MILLION TOWARDS A QUALITY TEACHING PROFESSION
10 May 2005 MINBUD 26/05
Australian teachers will be able to further
strengthen the quality and status of their profession through the
provision of an additional $20 million in Australian Government
funding to the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School
Leadership (NIQTSL).
This funding, to be provided over the next four
years, brings the Government’s total support for the Institute to
$30 million.
Raising the quality, professionalism and status of
teachers is the Government’s top priority in schooling. Quality
teaching is the most important factor that influences the
educational outcomes of our children, accounting for up to 60% of
the variation in learning outcomes.
The NIQTSL was established last June in response to
the needs of our teachers and school leaders. For too long the
profession has lacked the capacity to shape its own future.
Already the Institute has made significant progress.
It is developing nationally consistent professional
standards for accomplished teachers and for school leaders, and is
establishing a national school leadership programme.
These developments will significantly contribute to
raising the status of the profession.
In the future, the NIQTSL will have a role in
strengthening the quality assurance of teacher education courses. It
is vitally important that graduate teachers are classroom ready. The
current House of Representatives Inquiry into Teacher Education will
also play an important role in guiding the Institute’s work in this
area.
The Institute is being funded through the highly
successful Australian Government Quality Teacher Programme, which
provides quality professional development for teachers and school
leaders.
The Government recently announced that it will
provide an additional $139.9 million to extend this programme to the
end of 2009, which includes the additional funding for the NIQTSL.
This is part of a broad suite of measures the
Government has in place to improve teacher quality, including an
additional $110 million to support universities with the costs
associated with the practical component of teaching, and the
quarantining of education units of study from any HECS increases.
Media Contacts:
Dr Nelson’s Office: Yaron Finkelstein 0414 927 663
Dept of Education, Science & Training: Virginia Cook 0412 971 323
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