Australia's education ministers are backing a proposed overhaul of teacher training to stem an exodus of educators from the profession.
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The recommendations made by the Teacher Education Expert Panel include strengthening teacher education programs, improving practical teaching experiences and boosting post-graduate teacher education for mid-career entrants.
"Too many beginning teachers have reported that they felt they needed to be better equipped for the challenges they faced in the classroom on starting their teaching careers," the panel said in a report.
"There are greater expectations placed on teachers than ever before."
The panel said if a 10 percentage point rise in initial teacher education rates could be achieved, there would be nearly 3000 extra graduates a year.
Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and his state and territory counterparts have agreed in principle to all 14 of the panel's recommendations, including national guidelines for practical teaching by the end of 2023 and fixing accreditation standards and procedures.
"Teaching is a tough and complex job and this is all about making sure they are better prepared from day one," Mr Clare said.
"A lot of teachers tell me they did not feel like they were prepared for the classroom when they finished university, that their university course didn't prepare them well enough to teach things like literacy and numeracy and manage classroom behaviour, and that prac wasn't up to scratch."
Panel chair and University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Mark Scott told AAP it was important that future teachers had a good start to their careers.
"We want to attract the best possible candidates into teaching, and what we can see now as a result of the pandemic is that teacher shortages have got worse as a result," Professor Scott said.
This is because recent school graduates may have been put off studying teaching due to their experiences during the COVID-19 years.
"Schools are ... complex and demanding places and experienced teachers are saying it has not been as demanding as it has been today," Prof Scott said.
"If we get this right and make programs more compelling, we think more students will complete initial teacher education programs."
Universities Australia chief executive Catriona Jackson noted the report's emphasis on providing higher quality and better-resourced practical experience.
"But this is not the whole picture - once teachers are in the classroom, we must ensure they are not held back by administrative burden and are supported in their career," she said.
The Australian Education Union said all public schools needed to be fully funded in five years' time to give teachers the time and resources to meet the needs of students.
"This funding will change lives," the union said in a statement.
"Unsustainable workloads are leading to a growing exodus of teachers from schools and making it harder for teachers to meet the growing and diverse needs of their students."
Australian Associated Press
