As well, given that teachers have proven they can deliver education online – putting aside the benefits or otherwise for the moment – we should now extract the best parts of online education and incorporate these into the curriculum.
Teacher placements need to become a mix of classroom learning and remote learning, in both metro and regional areas, to truly build resilience and create a workforce that is capable of teaching in times of unpredictability.
In saying that, a refreshed curriculum is not a silver bullet. We also need a renewed focus on attracting the right candidates to the profession, through innovative pathways, diverse placement opportunities and mentorship.
La Trobe University’s Nexus program, for example, is government-funded and enables student teachers to complete a master’s program with paid employment in schools. It aligns with the recent release of the Quality Initial Teacher Education Review recommendations, which acknowledge that prior learning of well-qualified, suitable, mid-career changers with skills in areas of high demand should be better recognised.
Nexus, and similar programs, offer pre-service teachers with great understanding of the diverse work that teachers do, and valuable classroom experience.
Above all, teachers must possess the attitude that they can never stop learning. Education providers would do well to offer short courses that offer specific skills and ongoing knowledge to the education community, as research and circumstance continue to build and change around them.
This is a time to listen and act. It is not a time to cast blame or point the finger. It is a time to unravel a schooling system that was designed for a society in the late 1800s moving into an industrialised world – which is no longer quite fit for purpose.
Professor Joanna Barbousas is the dean of education at La Trobe University and president of the Victoria Council of Deans of Education. She is a panellist at The Age’s Schools Summit at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 23.
Adapting teacher education to the future needs of Australia
Source: Philippines Alive
