Overhaul to bar sub-par students from teaching
Poorly performing students would be barred from teaching courses under a government crackdown on Victorian universities, making it harder for aspiring teachers to gain entry.
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Poorly performing students would be barred from teaching courses under a government crackdown on Victorian universities.
An overhaul of university admissions would make it more difficult for aspiring teachers to gain entry.
A strict limit on special consideration and tests for transferring students are among a series of proposed changes.
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The Herald Sun last year revealed teaching students with Australian Tertiary Admission Ranks as low as 17.9 out of a possible 99.95 were gaining entry into university courses — almost 50 points below the Victorian government’s minimum benchmark.
Victoria’s universities have been handed the proposed changes, which would effectively close a back door on entry to initial teaching education courses.
The proposed changes for teaching courses would:
DROP the maximum adjustment of special consideration from 20 ATAR points to just 10;
FORCE students who transfer from other courses to pass the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education (LANTITE) as a condition of entry;
CLOSE the door on students being able to transfer into the second year of a teaching course;
DEMAND universities share admission data with the Victorian Institute of Teaching; and
REQUIRE all initial teaching students to pass the LANTITE before starting their second year of study by 2020, rather than after their course.
The crackdown comes after a VIT investigation into low ATARs of teaching students, which was prompted by a Herald Sun report that found pupils were gaining entry to university courses despite shocking academic results.
A student with an ATAR of 17.9 gained entry to an initial teaching course at Victoria University, while Federation University accepted a student with a rank of 22.1.
They were the lowest teaching entry scores of all universities across Australia, and came despite the Victorian Government’s minimum benchmark ATAR of 65, which has since increased to 70.
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State Education Minister James Merlino said he made “no apologies for wanting the best and brightest teaching our kids.
“We have made that abundantly clear with universities.
“Our reforms are focused on improving teaching standards not propping up their business model.”
Mr Merlino said the government was considering “a number of options to further strengthen our reforms and ensure prospective teachers meet the highest standards and are delivering great outcomes for our kids”.
It is understood a meeting to discuss the proposals was held on Friday and attended by university representatives, the VIT and the government.
The VIT investigation, which looked into pathway courses that circumvented minimum standards and admissions that fell below government standards, is now complete.
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