Establishing a national certification system for teachers: How are we doing?

Any serious policies about teacher quality must address the challenge of making sure teaching can compete with other professions for its share of high quality graduates from schools and universities. Recent research shows that it is the salaries of experienced teachers relative to other professions that distinguishes countries with higher student achievement. Beginning with the 1998 a Senate Inquiry into the Status of Teaching, a string of reports recommended that a professional certification should be established to provide recognition to highly accomplished teachers and that education authorities should structure remuneration accordingly. In 2010 the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) was established with responsibility “for developing and implementing a nationally consistent certification function”. This article examines factors affecting the extent to which Australia has progressed in that direction.