Government’s quality reforms to include career education strategy

img

The federal government has committed to a significant package of reforms as part of its $73.6 billion Education Quality Reform, including a proposal to develop a National Career Education Strategy.

The Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA) and Career Development Association of Australia (CDAA) have welcomed the proposed strategy. Research conducted by CICA in 2015 showed that more than half of school career practitioners were working on a part-time basis. Of these, just one in three were able to devote their full workload to career education and guidance. A strategy that recognises the role, and value, of career education is crucial.

Other plans include:

  • ensuring a minimum proportion of trainee teachers specialise in literacy and numeracy

  • undertaking standardised assessments for Year 1 students, assessing their reading, phonics and numeracy, ensuring early intervention for those requiring additional help

  • providing annual reports to parents on literacy and numeracy attainment against national standards

  • ensuring senior students undertake humanities, mathematics and science disciplines

  • setting recruitment targets for teachers qualified in STEM fields

  • linking teacher salary progression to demonstrated competency and achievement (Australian Professional Standards for Teachers), rather than length of service

  • requiring graduate teachers to achieve registration at the ‘Proficient Level’ of the Standards within three years

  • incentivising high-performing teachers to work in disadvantaged schools.

See www.pm.gov.au/media/2016-05-01/quality-reforms-needed-get-all-australian-students-ahead for more information.