Fast-tracking for teachers

(Credentialism bites the dust at last)

A REVIEW of Queensland teacher registration could result in scientists and tradesmen being fast-tracked into schools. State Education Minister Anna Bligh yesterday announced a major overhaul of Queensland's teaching watchdog, the Board of Teacher Registration. Ms Bligh said the review of the board's powers and function would include an examination of ways to expand the teaching talent pool to include other professionals such as engineers and scientists. "Currently the entry path into teaching is very restricted," Ms Bligh said. "The review will examine ways to fast-track people with other qualifications and life experience, including trades, technical and other professions, into teaching, with more flexible registration options." Teachers are currently required to have a four-year education degree.

A teaching degree is notoriously the one with the lowest standards of any degree so any able person should see it as an almost criminal waste of the years spent on it. It has, in other words, been a reasonably good filter for keeping the ablest people out of teaching. At the moment, even a person with a Ph.D. would not be allowed to teach in a Queensland school unless they also had that tokenistic teaching degree!

The above is a news item that appeared in "The Courier Mail" (Brisbane, Australia) on March 23, 2004 but which does not appear to be otherwise online