Aspiring teachers in NSW will soon be able to enter the classroom after completing a one-year postgraduate course.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said this new policy will continue the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s push to modernise education and make a teaching career a reality sooner for people already working.
“People at all stages of their lives have the potential to be great teachers, for those who already have an undergraduate degree we want more streamlined approach for them to start a teaching career,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Teaching is a profession to aspire to and I don’t want a single person who is considering starting this fantastic career to be deterred by an unnecessary additional year in their training.”
Minister for Education and Early Learning Sarah Mitchell said the current two-year Master’s degree requirement has been shown to act as a disincentive for aspiring teachers, particularly mid-career professionals, and didn’t have a clear enough impact on student outcomes.
“A major barrier for people who already have an undergraduate degree and want to become a teacher is the length of time required to retrain,” Ms Mitchell said.
“Providing a new one-year Masters pathway will enable more mid-career professionals with existing qualifications and experience to bring these to bear in our classrooms.
“This decision is backed by strong research which shows that the best way for teachers to hit the ground running is to spend more time in schools.”
Under a NSW Liberal and Nationals Government, those with an undergraduate degree would be able to complete a one-year full time postgraduate degree in order to become a secondary school teacher from 2024, with streamlined postgraduate pathways for primary school teachers to be available by 2026. The Government will continue to work with universities and the profession to ensure these new courses are high-quality and prepare trainee teachers for the classroom.
Stakeholders across the sector, including many NSW universities, have expressed a desire to see more bespoke and skill-based Initial Teacher Education (ITE) degrees, especially for mid-career changers. This means that trainee teachers can get in front of a classroom sooner and finish their formal education while employed at a school.
The approach is supported by the findings of a new NSW Productivity Commission report released in January.
This is part of the NSW Liberal and Nationals’ commitment to modernising teaching to deliver great education for our students.
Along with a revised Master’s pathway, the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government has implemented the innovative FASTStream, Mid-Career Transition to Teaching, and Grow Your Own programs. The Rewarding Excellence in Teaching reform will also see expert classroom teachers attract salaries of up to $147,000 per year, in recognition of their skills and impact.
Since 2011, almost 100,000 new teachers have joined the profession in NSW.
