Report of the Working Party on Qualifications for Primary School Teachers 2003

Full Report: download Working Party Final Report 2003.doc

Recommendations:

The Working Party recommends that the Minister of Education notes that the Working Party agreed that:

(a)               the Working Party sees primary teaching as a degreed profession;

(b)               the Ministry of Education and the Teachers Council will issue a joint Request for Proposals for an analysis of existing research on teacher education in New Zealand since 1993, including a literature review and annotated bibliography and a survey of providers;

(c)               research is needed to clarify what teacher educators believe is most appropriate preparation for initial primary teacher education.  Following this research, the development of four-year teaching degrees for primary teaching should be investigated;

(d)               further investment in the induction of beginning teachers is recommended, including recognition for supervising teachers and those who mentor beginning teachers;

(e)               beginning teachers' time allowances must be maintained and consideration given to extending a time allowance into the second year;

(f)                 it endorses the recognition Pathways to the Future: Nga Huarahi Arataki gives that newly qualified early childhood teachers should have time allowances and mentoring to support their professional learning during the induction period;

(g)               teachers have a right to professional development that is supported by an appropriate school culture, is quality assured, has clear links to research and actual classroom practice, is accessible and properly resourced;

(h)               teachers moving into new positions of responsibility such as associate principalships, should have opportunities for professional development;

(i)                 there should be further development of qualification models that combine practice-based professional development and tertiary study linked to qualifications;

(j)                 the qualifications chart should be updated;

(k)               professional pathways should be available for teachers undertaking new roles and a career pathways and qualifications framework that recognises a variety of specialist options should be developed;

(l)                 primary teachers should have the opportunity to build on their current qualifications to gain undergraduate degrees and graduate and postgraduate diplomas through these professional pathways; and

(m)             it has not had time to discuss the issue of primary teachers with He Tohu Matauranga in any detail.

In addition, it is recommended the Minister notes that:

(n)               he has agreed that pathways such as the level 8 specialist teaching post-graduate diploma should be examined as a potential alternative pathways to Q3+;

(o)               NZEI Te Riu Roa maintains that as every solution offered to secondary teachers to provide access to G3+ involves 480 credits, the same must apply to primary teachers; and

(p)               NZEI Te Riu Roa is disappointed that this Working Party has not reached decisions on ways to deal with the impact of the ADR decisions on primary teachers