Australian business clearly figures that we are worth it!!
Justine Ferrari, Education writer | May 26, 2008
BIG business has called for the top rate of pay for teachers to be almost doubled under a national system of accreditation to raise the status of the profession.
The Business Council of Australia also supports setting a minimum university entry score of 75 for teaching courses and is considering establishing a scholarship scheme to encourage the brightest students to become teachers.
The policy paper released today by the BCA sets out a five-point plan to recognise outstanding teachers and keep them in the classroom, and to lift the standard of the profession.
A key recommendation of Teaching Talent, prepared by the Australian Council for Educational Research, is overhauling the salary scale for teachers and establishing a national certification scheme recognising four levels of proficiency.
It would raise the present highest salary level from about $70,000 for the most experienced classroom teachers to about $130,000.
"Salary may not be a strong reason why current teachers have chosen to teach, but it is a strong reason why many abler graduates choose not to teach," the paper says. "Who really believes that a top salary for classroom teachers of about $70,000 means we place sufficient value on teachers' work to attract the best university graduates?
There is no justification for assuming ... that our society can continue to get away with not paying teachers what they are worth."
The BCA says the first step in improving educational standards is to attract the best people into teaching, and it calls for a review of the current system that fills teaching courses regardless of academic ability.
The entry score into primary teaching courses in some universities is less than 60 per cent although some have scores higher than 80 per cent.
"(This) means Australia is recruiting substantial numbers of primary teachers from the middle third of high school graduates rather than the top third," the paper says.
"The current practice whereby universities are free to enrol students in teacher education courses until they fill course quotas, regardless of academic ability, clearly needs to be reviewed."
The BCA "strongly endorses" the recommendations made in two parliamentary reports for raising entry standards, including setting entry scores at a minimum of 75 and all primary teaching students having studied English, maths and science in Year 12.
The BCA scheme sets out ratios of pay for each level, with the top teachers receiving 2.5 times the starting salary, which is close to $50,000 in most states.
The present salary scale is flat compared with other professions, with teachers reaching their highest level of about $70,000 after only eight years.
Teaching graduates would be given provisional registration and expected to attain the level of registered teacher within three years after meeting state and territory competency standards. Under the BCA scheme, registered teachers would be paid 1.25 times the starting salary, which is close to $50,000 in most states.
The initial stages of teacher registration would be handled by the states and territories but the BCA argues for a voluntary national system for the top two levels, overseen by an independent national teacher accreditation agency.
The standard for accomplished teacher would reflect the standards expected of teachers after 10 years in the profession, and they would be paid twice the starting salary.
Leading-teacher status would be based on a track record of leading and managing colleagues in initiatives to improve student learning and welfare and would be paid at 2.5 times the starting salary.
The proposal is modelled on the NSW Institute of Teachers and the BCA estimates it will take 10 years to establish a national certification system.