Strengthening the teaching profession - a welcome move

MEDIA RELEASE

20 May 2013

Strengthening the teaching profession - a welcome move

Building a 21st Century Body for the Education Profession is welcomed by New Zealand Kindergartens Chief Executive Clare Wells. “A strong profession is key to quality teaching and leadership in education.”

Teachers complete a high level teacher education qualification and undertake an induction programme for at least two years before becoming a registered teacher. “The teaching profession demands standards are met – and rightly so. We should expect nothing less” said Clare Wells. “We welcome the opportunity to contribute to discussion on strengthening the profession.”

The paper sets out a range of proposals some of which are worrying.

“All registered teachers are required to hold an initial qualification which is being proposed at a post graduate level for teachers in schools. “This would create a two tier system within the profession – that’s not helpful and would be a backward step. If the government is serious about lifting achievement, all teachers need to meet the same standards regardless of where they teach” said Clare Wells.

“Almost a quarter of registered teachers teach in early childhood education. Every teacher within the NZK network is 100% qualified and registered” Clare Wells said. “They are the hallmark of kindergarten and we will be looking to see teachers in early childhood services maintain the same professional status as their colleagues in schools.”

“Another proposal is to allow people other than those with a teacher education qualification to have an ‘authority to educate.’ It seems this is more about who is employed in a school or early childhood service rather than a matter for the teachers’ professional body” said Clare Wells. “Having a broad category for unqualified staff seems at odds with the brief of a professional body.”

“The Teachers Council (NZTC) is the only government organisation that views all qualified teachers as part of a single teaching profession regardless of where they teach and the age of the students they teach. For the early childhood education (ECE) sector, this means the standards required of teachers in ECE are no less than for teachers in schools, maintaining the integrity of the profession and status of qualified teachers in ECE settings. Ensuring equity of status and standards for early childhood education teachers and primary and secondary teachers is of critical importance to maintaining high quality early childhood education services and New Zealand’s position as a global leader in education” Clare Wells said.

ENDS

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