The Teach for Australia program is not currently operating in South Australia due to state legislation.
The Federal Government’s pathway into teaching initiative ‘Teach for Australia’, attracts high-achieving graduates from specific fields, such as Mathematics and Science into teaching.
Graduates undergo six weeks of accelerated teacher and leadership training before being placed in a teaching position within a public secondary school.
Teacher quality is the number one in-school influence on student results. Research shows that teachers with advanced subject knowledge have a corresponding effect on student outcomes.
A poor-quality teacher not only imparts less knowledge for the period they teach the student, but can leave the student worse off when they later attempt higher level work:
– The top 25 OECD countries recruit their teachers from the top third of graduates.
– A teacher’s knowledge of their subject is directly linked to the performance of students.
– There is a link between a teacher’s academic record and student results.
– Students achieve more with teachers who perform well on literacy tests.
Teach For Australia is based on the successful Teach First models in the United Kingdom and United States. After accelerated teaching training, graduates are placed in the classroom for two years. At the completion of this tenure, they are fully qualified teachers. They then have the opportunity to stay on as a teacher or move into the business sector with corporate employers who partner in the program. Overseas, more than half enjoy their time in the classroom and stayon as a teacher beyond their two years.
“In South Australia, recent AEU and University research revealed that up to 40% of our state’s teachers are not qualified in the science subject they are teaching our children.”
SAASSO Bulletin: Teach For Australia |
School Post: Teach For Australia |
School Post: Meet The Graduates |
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The April 2009 announcement of the new pathway into teaching. |
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The School Post article outlining the Teach For Australia initiative. |
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A School Post update, profiling the high achieving, young graduates in the pilot program. |
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