Student teachers should be supervised by registere

Student teachers should be supervised by registered teachers

A new Teachers Council requirement that anyone supervising a student teacher must themselves be a registered teacher should bring an end to universities pressuring staff without practicing certificates into supervising students. That is the view of TEU national president, Dr Tom Ryan.

TEU has welcomed the council's new approval, review and monitoring processes, saying is good to see that the council has listened to the views of actual teacher educators.

Dr Ryan says that in recent years TEU has had concerns that some academic staff in initial teacher education providers who do not have formal teaching qualifications have been pressured by institutions into supervising student teachers on their placement.

"Teaching is an applied professional qualification where practice are just as important as research. We would not expect academics who lack a nursing qualification to be supervising student nurses in hospitals. Likewise, it is only reasonable that student teachers doing practicums with children should be supervised by registered teachers."

ENDS

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