Quality Teachers need the right sort of Training

16 March 2012

Quality Teachers need the right sort of Training

The Minister of Education’s announcement today that a post-graduate qualification for trainee teachers will increase teacher quality has been received with scepticism by the President of the New Zealand principals’ Federation, Paul Drummond.

‘A subject specific degree, followed by a shorter teacher training period may well be a suitable qualification for teaching in the secondary sector,’ said Drummond, ‘but in the primary sector, teachers are required to teach all subjects right across the curriculum, not just a single subject,’ he said.

Primary sector principals are concerned that the new teacher qualification requirements are likely to result in poorer teaching quality rather than enhance it.

‘We are concerned that whilst it will take four years to become a teacher under the new scheme and teachers will all have a degree, the actual teacher training time will be significantly reduced and this in the end is what makes the difference for children,’ said Drummond.

‘Quality teachers are created in classrooms when given opportunities to practice in schools. The classroom experience is a significant part of current teacher training and much of it would be lost under this proposal,’ said Drummond.

‘More than ever we need teachers who will make a difference right across the board and to do that they need a thorough understanding of a broad range of pedagogical approaches, a high level of cultural competency and a comprehensive understanding of the very rich New Zealand Curriculum.

‘The Minister wants us to increase success for our Māori and Pasifika children and those who are not sharing the same success as their peers. Teachers with fewer years training will not help us achieve that goal,’ said Drummond.

ENDS

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