Teachers, expert say more staff needed for new phonics, numeracy checks

Teachers have called for more thorough testing and staff shortages to be addressed in the wake of new phonics and numeracy checks rolling out from this term.

Minister for Education John-Paul Langbroek. Picture: Liam Kidston

Teacher associations and ­experts have called for more thorough testing and the teacher shortage to be ­addressed in the wake of new phonics and numeracy checks rolling out from this term.

Teacher’s Professional ­Association Queensland president Scott Stanford said to avoid increased burden on teachers as a result of the checks, more were needed.

“It’s a nice step in the right direction getting back to the old-school phonics, but we have to have the teachers to implement it and we haven’t got that at the moment,” Mr Stanford said.

“I’ve had a member today who has been retired for a couple of years and his wife has teacher shortages at her school so he’s coming out of retirement to fill it for six months.”

Meanwhile, Griffith University education professor Christine Edwards-Groves said she had concerns the phonics test would result in schools having a “narrow focus” on literacy and reading skills.

“It (reading) is similar to baking a cake. If we only give the cook, for example, one of the ingredients and not all of the ingredients, it’s not going to be a successful cake,” Professor Edwards-Groves said. “Then teachers and/or parents get worried about this as being the most important thing.”

She said schools would be better off equipping teachers more broadly through professional development to teach reading to avoid extra workload and singular focuses.

“What I’m suggesting is, if the training is around more broadly effective reading, and what effective reading is and should be for young people, then that is a better investment in the longer term.”

Education Minister John-Paul Langbroek acknowledged the new checks were asking teachers to “do more”.

“But we are also providing relief teachers to make sure their workload won’t be more than at present,“ he said.

“We’re also making sure that teachers are not going to be burdened by doing a five to seven minute test. The relief system will ensure that those teachers get relief.”

Originally published as Teachers, expert say more staff needed for new phonics, numeracy checks