A Testing Time for Future Teachers
FollowBy new regulations, all teaching students in NSW will have to pass a ”tough” literacy and numeracy test before they can graduate, because there are concerns some new teachers struggle to explain maths and grammar concepts to their students.
The new online test will be introduced by 2016. Students who fail it will not be allowed to complete their final practical assessment in the classroom, which would stop them graduating.
Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said he expected high standards of teaching graduates and the new test would ensure every student graduating from a teaching course in NSW had adequate literacy and numeracy skills.
NSW would be the first state to set such a test, with a complete introduction planned for 2016 after trials this year and next. Students would be able to sit the test as many times as they wish – a little bit like your driver’s test. If students are failing because they don’t have the requisite knowledge, that would not be a reason to change the test.
As part of improving teacher quality, students starting a teaching degree from school will also need three Band 5 Higher School Certificate results, one of which must be English.