Page 3345 - Week 09 - Thursday, 22 August 2019
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MR GUPTA (Yerrabi) (11.17): I rise today to speak to the ACT Teacher Quality Institute Amendment Bill. The ACT Teacher Quality Institute Amendment Bill 2019 demonstrates that a key focus for this government in the education portfolio has been respecting and investing in the teaching profession. It is a priority of the government because we understand that teachers play an integral role in a child’s development and we are committed to supporting teachers to engage effectively with students as professionals.
I want to mirror and reiterate the minister’s clear statement that, after personal factors related to a school student, the single most significant factor in their learning outcomes is the standard of teaching available to them.
In a lot of areas we can see how the government is demonstrating that we can take education seriously. Respecting and empowering the teaching profession is a clear priority for this minister and this government. There are many great examples, such as building on the future of education strategy and the foundation it sets through empowering learning professionals.
The education strategy is the product of extensive consultation and research. The strategy draws on the accumulative experience of children, parents, teachers and education experts. Our teachers deserve a strong foundation and ongoing support when working with students, and our government acknowledges and respects the great contribution of our teachers.
Relevant to today’s debate, in the 2018 budget the government allocated funding to build better links with the University of Canberra, where many ACT teachers gain their initial and postgraduate qualifications. Work on this university partnership is progressing and will provide teachers with opportunities for professional learning through research collaboration, growing the University of Canberra as a centre for excellence in teaching. The ACT government also kicked off a new teacher mentor program, with school leaders being provided with better training in mentoring and supporting teachers who are beginning their careers in one of the ACT’s public schools.
The bill we are debating today continues the government’s work by formalising the good work that the ACT Teacher Quality Institute is doing through professional experience for student teachers. By providing a registration scheme for student teachers undertaking a practicum, the institute will be able to better support both these student teachers and their host schools to provide a high quality learning experience. Student teachers will also gain an improved record of their practical experience.
Another key element of the bill will better equip the government to work with the education sector to support and plan for future workforce needs. It will do this by allowing de-identified information about the teaching workforce held on the teacher register to be used for workforce planning and research, and will allow the institute to contribute to this work.
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