Postgraduate teaching degrees could return to one year with Queensland not ruling out switch

The door remains open to Queensland following New South Wales’ lead and potentially halving postgraduate teaching degrees from two years to one to ease teacher shortages.

The door remains open to Queensland following New South Wales’ lead and potentially halving postgraduate teaching degrees from two years to one to ease teacher shortages.

There are mixed feelings in the Queensland sector on the proposal put forward by NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell last week as a commitment ahead of the March 25 election.

The NSW plan means students with an undergraduate teaching degree could complete a one-year, full-time postgraduate degree to become a secondary school teacher from 2024, while streamlined postgraduate pathways for primary school teachers would be available in 2026.

Queensland’s postgraduate teaching degrees used to be one-year courses, but are currently two-year courses in line with national standards.

NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell and NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet speaking on Tuesday. Photo: NCA NewsWire / Brendan Read.

Queensland College of Teachers spokeswoman Caroline Hollis said while the NSW election commitment was scarce on details around how the change could be made, it was technically possible but would need to be done carefully to remain in line with national standards.

“In Queensland, we have postgraduate pathways that meet national standards and while students can complete them in a shorter time frame, any decision about reducing the length of time to study must be made under those national standards,” she said.

“This is an interesting space given the NSW election knowledge, but I’m not sure how this plays out with the national standards.

“Where the concern lies is ensuring there is a step beyond the election promise to work together and still meet the national standards, because it is those standards that have enabled states to take graduates from other states.”

A spokesman for Queensland Acting Education Minister Leanne Linard said the length of teaching degrees is decided at a national level.

“The Palaszczuk Government is willing to consider any proposal that may help to attract and retain teachers, and we are already taking action with a broad range of measures in this space,” the spokesman said.

“At the 2020 election we committed to hiring 6190 new teachers and 1150 teacher aides. We have already met our target for hiring new teacher aides and are on track to meet our target for new teachers.”

Teachers Professional Association of Queensland secretary Tracy Tully supports the NSW proposal to halve postgraduate teaching degrees.

TPAQ state secretary Tracy Tully is a former teacher and principal. Photo: Zak Simmonds.

“The real work starts in the school in the classroom. Twelve months full-time study in a university covers the curriculum adequately, but universities cannot provide student teachers with the real world training required, that is best done by teachers themselves,” she said.

“We have many teachers out in the workforce Australia wide, who learned teaching successfully with a one year degree as an undergraduate and following a former career.”

Australian Catholic University is the country’s largest provider of teachers. ACU Executive Dean of Education Professor Mary Ryan rejected the NSW proposal.

“Rushing graduates into classrooms might lead to an immediate increase in teachers, however this risks longevity in the profession,” she said.

“We don’t want to see graduates enter the profession only to leave shortly after due to being underprepared and feeling unsupported for what is complex work.

“We offer multiple flexible pathways to school leavers and postgraduates including an 18-month accelerated early childhood teaching degree.”

Queensland Teachers’ Union president Cresta Richardson said the NSW proposal would only be an interim solution.

“Shortening postgraduate teacher qualifications would be an interim outcome to be considered, however, more needs to be done to encourage new entrants to the profession while ensuring that suitably qualified teachers are accessible to all students across the state,” she said.

Queensland Teachers’ Union president Cresta Richardson. Photo: Richard Windeyer.

Queensland shadow education spokesman Dr Christian Rowan said the state government needed to do more.

“Given the recent Federal Productivity Commission Review, the Queensland State Government should also be actively responding to the findings and recommendations applicable to our state, including additional strategies to recruit and retain teachers given ongoing workforce shortages,” he said.

In December, a new enterprise bargaining agreement for Queensland teachers was approved and included improved conditions and an 11.4 per cent pay rise over three years.