Anonymous #462

Submitter information

Name

Anonymous #462

Where are you located?

Victoria

What type of area do you live in?

Metropolitan

Are you an education professional?
(e.g. teacher, school leader, learning support assistant, teacher’s aide)

Yes

Which sector do you work in?

Represent public primary, secondary and special schools

What is your occupation?

Teacher

Elevating the profession

The actions proposed recognise the value teachers bring to students, communities and the economy.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

The AEUVic agrees with the objective but is not supportive of a number of the key actions in this priority area.

Marketing campaigns have their place, however we don’t believe the elevation of the profession can be achieved in any meaningful way through such measures, or new awards for teachers. Awards and OAs will be viewed cynically by teachers experiencing unsustainable workloads, increasingly complex student learning and welfare needs and inadequate funding.

Action point 1 that Ministers and stakeholders will “actively promote teachers’ excellent work” must be strengthened to include a responsibility for Ministers to defend teachers and actively rebut ideological attacks on teachers from media commentators. It is also unclear how the action plan could compel the media to actively promote teachers, thus creating an unachievable objective.

As Victoria does not have HALTs, it is important to ensure recognition of ‘equivalent’ positions. Increasing numbers is acceptable, however this should not be done in isolation of concrete steps to develop genuine career structures that increase remuneration and progression paths for all teachers through industrial agreements. The opportunity to progress and be recognised for high quality teaching skills throughout their career must be extended to all teachers, not just those who manage to navigate the onerous and time consuming HALT or equivalent process. It would also be advisable that HALT processes or equivalent are consistent and accessible across all jurisdictions. This will require increased investment in the profession.

Real action on genuine career structures for all teachers, reductions in workload, and support for the complex nature of teachers work will drive improvements in recognition and respect for the profession.

Improving teacher supply

The actions proposed will be effective in increasing the number of students entering ITE, number of students completing ITE and the number of teachers staying in and/or returning to the profession.

Somewhat disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

AEUVic supports the provision of additional ITE places and bursaries. Additional places must be allocated to institutions that are able to provide consistently high quality ITE and entry standards must be maintained or improved when additional places are added.

Greater focus on strategies that address the attraction and retention of pre-service teachers during their course of study is needed. In a recent AEUVic survey of student members, 54.3% were extremely concerned about experiencing financial stress during their studies, resulting in students not undertaking ITE programs, deferring or not completing.

Additional bursaries, as well as funded studentships are needed, as the numbers proposed are inadequate. Financial support during periods when pre-service teachers undertake placements is also needed, due to lost earnings. Students could be attracted with offers of ongoing employment, bonded to the public system, with a focus on rural, regional and hard to staff schools.

There needs to be greater investment in supporting graduates in their first years of teaching, through appropriately funded mentor programs, which provide reduced face to face teaching, and allocated time for the teacher and their mentor to meet, as well as greater investment in professional development. Unsustainable workload is a significant factor in teacher burnout and stress, and additional targeted support is needed early in their careers.

Action point 8 relies on existing state based attraction programs and does not focus enough on measures to retain existing teachers or attract back those who have left. AEUVic principals have indicated that key underlying reasons for high attrition, includes workload, stress and burnout and these are not addressed. Urgent action is needed to retain existing teachers, and this should not be delayed until the second half of 2023.

Action point 9 must ensure that overseas teachers are not registered without full qualifications, and support is needed for principals to relieve workload associated with managing the employment of overseas teachers, including navigating the visa processes.

Strengthening Initial Teacher Education (ITE)

The actions proposed will ensure initial teacher education supports teacher supply and quality.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Teachers need to be consulted on best practice for Professional Experience Placements through the AEU. Extended practicums must include an appropriate level of in-class supervision and support by a mentor. This must be funded so it can be done without creating additional workload burdens for teacher mentors.

Changes designed to improve the quality of placements must be accompanied by increased resources to schools. Current supervision payments for teachers haven’t kept pace with the cost of living and AEU members report that providers often try to avoid making payments to teachers and/or schools. These payments must be increased and paid on time, to enable supervision without detrimental workload impacts.

The AEU is broadly supportive of the potential for paid internships for mid-career entrants to ITE so long as it is part of a robust masters’ degree and appropriate funded support is provided at the school. Paid internships accompanied by bursaries will help to enable mid-career entrants to ITE to undertake a masters’ degree and will improve classroom readiness.

The AEU suggests that the Action Plan consider more flexible practicum scheduling across the academic year so that pre-service teachers have an opportunity to engage in longer periods of paid practicums to encourage supportive school mentoring relationships (with increased resource for mentors) and community bonds.

The AEU supports the plan to increase the number of First Nations teachers by leveraging key lessons from MATSITI and supports the co-design and close partnership with the organisations listed.

The AEU maintains its opposition to LANTITE as an assessment of skills. AEU policy is that entry to ITE should be maintained through recruitment of the top 30% of school graduates. However, the AEU welcomes the proposed changes to allow students to take the test prior to the commencement of studies, the increased feedback and support and additional permitted attempts. Consideration should also be given to whether the assessment is fit for purpose, i.e. does it provide a barrier for some individuals?

Maximising the time to teach

The actions proposed will improve retention and free up teachers to focus on teaching and collaboration.

Somewhat disagree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

National surveys have consistently found that workload is the most urgent issue for teachers. This action plan does not contain adequate urgent and concrete actions to address the underlying causes of the teacher shortage such as unsustainable workloads, appropriate time for planning and preparation for classes, career structures and insecure work.

The Workload Reduction Fund at action point 14 is welcome, however the AEU is concerned that participation is optional. All states and territories need to step up and must participate in the pilots as soon as possible so that evaluations can be made prior to the 2024 school year. The workload reduction fund should be accompanied by a well-resourced effort from all governments to immediately implement positive outcomes from the pilot to reduce workload burden.

Specific and detailed action such as the reductions in face to face teaching in Victoria, are needed, not just minor reforms to administrative process or increased flexibility for principals.

The Teacher Workload Impact Assessment for each NSRA initiative is very positive and should be prioritised to ensure it is in use during negotiations for the next NSRA and during NSRA implementation from 2024. In addition, states and territories need to consider workload impacts of the constant initiatives which are introduced and schools expected to implement.

The AEU is concerned about the lack of detail in the suggestion, at action point 18, that ITE students could be used to reduce teacher workload. ITE students’ engagement in schools should ideally be a placement or paid internship under appropriate supervision, to ensure we don’t burn new teachers out in the early stages of their careers.

Better understanding future teacher workforce needs

How effective are the proposed actions in better understanding future teacher workforce needs, including the number of teachers required?

Very effective

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Strategies to develop and publish nationally consistent data on workforce projections and ITE graduates is welcome, as is the partnership with unions in the development of this data.

Action point 21 must focus on ATRAs ensuring that adherence to the existing Australian Professional Standards for Teachers is maintained in the proposed National Quality Framework.

The statement of expectations to ATRAs and AITSL, and the updated policies and processes to facilitate more efficient national teacher mobility and streamline registration for prospective teachers such as teachers from overseas and retired teachers, as outlined at action point 22, must not result in any lowering of the standard of skills and experience necessary for provisional registration in any jurisdiction.

The development and publication of comprehensive data on teacher attrition at action point 23 is welcome. This work is urgent given current shortages, and every effort should be made to meet the timeline for AESOC to advise ministers by mid-2023.

The inclusion of salary, career structure and workload measures to retain teachers and attract qualified teachers back to the profession is welcome, however there is a need for concrete strategies. HELP debt relief and additional housing affordability measures such as stamp duty relief should be considered in consultation with the unions, as should other affordability measures including rental and/or accommodation support.

Better career pathways to support and retain teachers in the profession

The proposed actions will improve career pathways, including through streamlining the process for Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher (HALT) accreditation, and providing better professional support for teachers to retain them in the profession.

Somewhat agree

Would you like to provide feedback about these actions?

Action point 24 should also refer to ensuring that teachers are appropriately rewarded throughout their career independently of whether they seek or attain HALT status. The timing of the development of this pathway should occur as soon as possible.

The mentoring and induction guidelines raised at action point 25 are welcome, as is the proposed union consultation on timelines. The AEU recommends that unions are also involved in the actual development of the guidelines, and that significant additional resource is provided to ensure that both early career and experienced teachers have the time to properly engage in mentoring processes.

Early career teacher members have consistently told the AEU that their ITE did not prepare them adequately for teaching First Nations students, and the AEU recommends that action point 26 is extended to require that all ITE courses must include a module on cultural competency and cultural safety. These modules must be developed with and approved by First Nations educators before implementation.

The streamlining of HALT accreditation processes at action point 27 is welcome and must be accompanied by a parallel new process to ensure that teachers across all jurisdictions are able to access salary progression throughout their career, rather than hitting a ceiling at 9-10 years as is currently the case, which is a major driver of mid-career attrition.
The AEU recommends that the $10 million allocated for micro-credentials at action point 28 is redirected towards professional development and to additional release time for teachers to undertake professional development.