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New NSW teachers to require a credit average, 'superior' intelligence (1 Viewer)

BLIT2014

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"Teaching graduates will need a credit average in their degree and must prove "superior" emotional and cognitive intelligence to be allowed to apply for a job in NSW public schools.

Under new standards to be set by the NSW government, applicants with online-only degrees will be sent to the end of the queue and students' practical teaching experience will be heavily scrutinised.

NSW education minister Rob Stokes.
NSW education minister Rob Stokes.

Photo: Simone Cottrell
Applicants will also have to show a committment to the values of public education. The standards will apply to students beginning their education degree in 2019, and will not affect existing teachers.

Education Minister Rob Stokes said the policy was aimed at ensuring that the NSW Department of Education only hired the best teachers possible amid a boom in the number of graduates entering the job market.

"Every parent wants the very best teacher for their child, and every teacher wants to work with colleagues who are passionate, gifted, capable and really committed to their jobs," he told The Herald.

Under the new hiring standards, graduates will only be allowed to apply for jobs in the public system once they have shown superior cognitive and emotional intelligence in a psychometric test administered by the Department of Education.

They will have to demonstrate their commitment to yet-to-be-defined values of public education (such as inclusivity and diversity) in a behavioural interview, and achieve at least a credit average in their degree.

All their practical assessments will be scrutinised to ensure that they are not hiding bad feedback. Applications from students that did an online-only course will not be given preference, but there will be exceptions for students with no other option.

Mr Stokes said the standards ensured the selection process focused on aptitude for teaching as well as academic achievement.

"There would be a lot of people who would remember teachers that might have done well academically but simply were not a good fit for teaching." he said. "This is one way we can make sure we get the right people in the profession."

The move comes amid concerns that a boom in the number of teaching graduates since a cap on university places was lifted in 2012 has led to lower standards for entry into education degrees, and lower-quality graduates.

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Education is cheap to teach, costing about 20 percent less than the federal government's per-student funding allocation.

There are also fears some students are bypassing a 2016 rule requiring those entering education degrees in NSW to achieve a band five in three HSC subjects by doing an interstate course online.

"The market is literally flooded with supply of teaching graduates," said Mr Stokes. "Only five or six per cent of graduates could possibly be offered jobs in the NSW Education Department.

"If there is less quality control on the way in, there needs to be more quality control on the way out. This is also a clear message to universities that we accept it's up to you to train students, but our message is 'we will take the best you've got'."

The NSW Teachers Federation will be consulted about details of the plan. President Maurie Mulheron welcomed it, citing concerns that some high school graduates were accepted into teaching with an ATAR of 50.

About 20 per cent of students were studying their degree online, he said. "Not everyone who wants to be a teacher can be a teacher," Mr Mulheron said. "High entry standards into initial teacher education are critically important.

"As the largest employer of teachers, the NSW Department of Education can ensure that the high standards are applied after graduation at the point of employment."

Andrew Norton, director of higher education at the Grattan Institute, said there has been a seven per cent increase in the number of students studying undergraduate teaching degrees nationally between 2008 and 2016."





Source:https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw...ge-superior-intelligence-20180902-p501ao.html
 

BLIT2014

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"superior cognitive and emotional intelligence in a psychometric test".

I'm a tad concerned with this part, some of the teachers that were better at teaching may well not have met this requirement.Not to mention psychometric tests have relativelly low validity when it comes to predicting performance on the job.
 

cosmo 2

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this is meaningless until they reveal what test or tests are being used here

"psychometric tests" in australian vocational contexts usually refe to personality batteries, which are crap predictors bc they're so easy to lie on
 

enoilgam

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"superior cognitive and emotional intelligence in a psychometric test".

I'm a tad concerned with this part, some of the teachers that were better at teaching may well not have met this requirement.Not to mention psychometric tests have relativelly low validity when it comes to predicting performance on the job.
Psychometric testing should be used in conjunction with other selection methods. Pairing it with behavioral based interviews is quite effective, it can help put things into context. However, setting a minimum score or parameters and excluding candidates on that basis really should on be done when you have a large mass of candidates (i.e. a graduate program).

As for the article, I think it's a nice idea, but it doesn't go to the heart of the issue. The government needs to improve the conditions if it wants to attract better talent. The government loves treating the Public Service like a "Private Enterprise" when it comes to things like cutbacks and outsourcing. But when it comes to things like improving conditions to attract top talent (which most top private companies do), the government doesn't seem too keen (I loathe when moron politicians say that the PS needs to be more commercial, but I digress).

This just eliminates the poor talent, it does nothing to attract the good talent.
 

cosmo 2

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sticking talented people in teaching roles is mostly a waste of their talent anyway

its not like you need to be a genius to teach well

ppl love bleating on about declining educational standards and whatever but reality is things are basically fine, we have too many educated ppl, not too few, there are no jobs for the thousands of science /arts / whatever students being churned out of our university system as it is

this is not a crisis. its not going to matter to the lives of the future petrol station attendants and baristas (most people) of australia if they had access to better teachers that somehow helped them achieve slightly better test scores
 
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jackyjack96

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How does the Department of Education manage to sped all this time finding new ways of assessing, incentivising etc teachers.

Meanwhile our outdated school curriculum never gets much of a look in (unless its a good old "back to basics" and "promote STEM disciplines" vote grabbing schpeil). We need a school system that encourages creativity, not kills it.

The future workforce (particularly thanks to technology) needs innovation. Meanwhile the HSC, school curriculum, and system neatly cuts and curtails creativity. Our school system needs more than vague new teacher assessments.
 

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