'best' Teachers Key To Lifting Schools

The Age

Thursday October 30, 2008

FARRAH TOMAZIN

AUSTRALIAN schools are falling behind because of a failure to attract high-quality teachers, a leading education expert has warned.

But Professor Brian Caldwell said the public ranking of schools was not the answer and could lead to an "oppressive climate for education".

Instead the Federal Government should emulate countries such as Finland, by encouraging teachers to do masters degrees, minimising the national testing of students, and providing schools with more autonomy and a broader curriculum.

Professor Caldwell said Australia was still struggling to attract "the best people into the teaching profession". "Things will not improve if teachers continue to teach in run-down facilities and in an oppressive straight-jacket of national testing with public school-by-school comparisons." FARRAH TOMAZIN

© 2008 The Age

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