Why we don’t have the world’s best, or most respected, teachers

Barely a day goes by when people aren’t bemoaning the state of teacher education in Australia. Australian students' results are declining, entry requirements for teachers aren’t high enough, teaching courses don’t focus on the right things. So whose fault is it? And how do we rectify the situation? It’s true that teacher education providers select too many students who would never have gained entry to teacher education in the past, but this is merely a symptom of a deeper problem. The problem lies in the status and salary prospects of teachers, and the quality of teacher education providers. Countries where student achievement is highest have a heavy focus on recruitment and entry standards of teachers, accreditation standards and registration standards. Australia is weak in all three of these areas.