Education Ministers adopted a national plan for teaching, Friday

The plan includes “elevating” teachers’ status, ways for teachers to teach more and administer less and to increase the workforce.

And then there is an idea that the previous government was keen on, “strengthening initial teacher education.”

This will include,

* first-year school placements for ITE students

* assessment in teaching students’ first year of “literacy and numeracy skills” with “targeted support if they need it” (student teachers now must pass existing LANTITE tests before they can graduate

* states and territories will “consider” regulatory and accreditation structures, “to ensure they are fit for purpose”

And then there is the big one for education academics

*  an “expert panel” to strengthen “the link between performance and funding of ITE.”

“This will include but not be limited to advising on how Commonwealth supported places for teaching should be allocated based on quality and other relevant factors.”

This comes from a report to the previous government and the idea was quickly adopted by then (acting) education minister Stuart Robert – who announced Uni Sydney VC Mark Scott would head the panel, the rest of which was not named before the election (CMM February 25).

And now the new government wants to links ITE course funding to performance and wants to Professor Scott to head the panel.

There’s a cheery thought for dean of education faculties – questions about their work is bipartisan and shared by the Commonwealth and the states/territories.