Student blows the whistle on uni training courses

A final-year student has outlined concerns about the initial teacher education degree at the University of Canberra.

A final-year university student training to be a teacher, who is unhappy with the quality of his teaching degree. Picture: Martin Ollman

A final-year student has outlined concerns about the initial teacher education degree at the University of Canberra

“This is a four-year degree which includes one practicum placement in a school each year, lasting between one week and six weeks. The rest of the degree is theoretical, taught in classrooms from whiteboards or screens. It offers far too little practical experience, but the theoretical deficiencies are, if anything, worse.

“Having now worked in schools and completed placements, I have concluded that most courses are irrelevant, repetitious, farcical and infused with radical neo-Marxist and Postmodern dogma.

“They do not teach us to become good teachers who communicate well, are insightful, informed, mature, knowledgeable and wise.

“Instead, we are taught to be hysterical and irrational social justice activists and agitators for societal upheaval, with no resilience, integrity or humility.

“Students are required to introduce themselves to the class by stating their pronouns and identifying as a fruit.

“Assignments in English courses focus on diversity rather than, say, reading, writing or speaking skills. A health and physical education course (which includes explicit sexual discussion, particularly about transgender, queer or “diverse” sexualities or genders) included discussing how to circumvent the will of parents who do not wish their child/children to be taught gender theory.

“Nearly every student works as a teacher aide, OSHC educator, Learning/Student Support Assistant or in schools in another capacity. We, therefore, know first-hand that 95 per cent of what we need to know is learned on prac or at work, not in uni classrooms.

“We incur a crippling HECS debt for a course that provides far less than we deserve.’’

The University of Canberra replied: “We can state with confidence that the student’s letter does not accurately represent courses of initial teacher education at the University of Canberra (which) strongly believes in the importance of practical experiences for students, and courses of initial teacher education are no exception: an observational placement occurs in the first semester of the first year, and placements increasing in length and requirements are patterned into subsequent semesters, culminating in a 30-day practicum in the final year.

“The university’s initial teacher education courses are accredited with the ACT’s Teacher Quality Institute (to) demonstrate they have met the Professional Standards for Initial Teacher Education as prescribed by The Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership.”