TEU’s newly formed teacher education network has set as its first task responding to the Teachers Council consultation document on the requirements and approval processes for initial teacher education programmes.
The council has been reviewing initial teacher education programmes since 2007 with the goal of increasing the effectiveness of the approval and monitoring processes for programmes and strengthening the quality of graduates who become teachers
The review is looking for feedback from those in the education sector on what the entry requirements should be to get into teacher education courses, how long the course practicum should be and how that practicum should be assessed, and how the programmes should be designed.
Currently over 92 percent of primary and secondary teacher education graduates are from universities and 52 percent of early childhood teacher education graduates.” There is however a reasonable amount of diversity within the sector with twenty six providers across wananga, institutes of technology and polytechnics, universities and PTEs. At the moment the Teachers Council requires that intending teachers demonstrate that they are of sound character and fit to be a teacher, but entry requirements (pre-requisites) can vary between providers.
The teacher education network represents a significant and vocal section of TEU’s membership and also has close links with other New Zealand education unions PPTA and NZEI.” It used its first meeting to confirm that it wants to play a strong role as an advocate for high quality public teacher education as well as for the staff who provide that education.