Doctor, Lawyer, Engineer… Teacher

Teachers can change the world. The average Australian will spend 11,000 hours being shaped by the knowledge, beliefs, and behaviours of teachers, during some of the most developmentally critical years of their life. All people will interact with teachers, and all teachers will affect the shape and direction of society. It seems curious then, that when people rattle off a list of ‘prestige careers’ – doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc. – that teaching is rarely, if ever, on the list. Over many years, Australia has failed the teaching profession, by lowering entry barriers, neglecting to reward excellence, and ignoring the importance of education in changing the world for the better.

For decades, Australian universities have set a low bar for entry into education courses. The Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) indicates an individual’s ranking amongst students of their age group. The average ATAR nationwide is typically around 70. Australian universities have allowed students with ATARs significantly below average to enter into teaching courses for the last several decades. Most universities report a median ATAR of 65-70 for Bachelor of Education courses, however many universities accept students with ATARs of 50 and below. Some states have attempted to elevate the entry requirements for teaching. The Victorian government recently set a recommended minimum ATAR of 70 for entry into education qualifications. However, a quick glance at some of the undergraduate education courses in Victorian universities will reveal the following publicly advertised entry requirements as of 2023:

-              RMIT: 50.55 (Removing bonus adjustments) https://delta.vtac.edu.au/coursesearch/#/course/26/3201005

-              Victoria University: 59.57 (Removing bonus adjustments) https://www.vu.edu.au/courses/bachelor-of-education-p-12-ebed

-              Latrobe: 55 (Removing bonus adjustments) https://delta.vtac.edu.au/coursesearch/#/course/26/2101349

The continuously low entry barriers to education qualifications are emblematic of the low competitiveness of teaching and low prestige of the career. Low prestige is part of a larger problem in Australia, which is that teaching is seen as a ‘backup’ option for many students. Evidence from the latest OECD teaching and learning study suggests that not only is teaching being thought of as a backup, for many, it is being used as such. For 42% of Australian teachers, teaching was not their first choice. The commonly held perception of teaching as a backup is incredibly harmful and inextricably linked with low demand and entry scores. As long as the profession is able to be treated as a backup, high achievers will be disincentivised from pursuing careers in teaching. Low barriers to entry create the impression that teaching does not present a challenge, which could not be further from the truth. Teaching is not a backup.

More respect for the profession of teaching is critical. A 2022 study of 5000 teachers by Monash University found that 70% did not feel respected by the public. The low regard for teaching is not commensurate with its impact in society and has real consequences for those aspiring to enter the field. It is not uncommon for students to be told they are ‘too smart to be a teacher’ or advised that teaching is a ‘waste of potential.’ Such attitudes have undoubtedly caused scores of students to re-evaluate their future plans and eliminate teaching from their future aspirations. The consequences of low regard for teaching also reverberate throughout the field, with the same 2022 Monash study finding that only 3 out of 10 teachers planned to stay in the career over the long term.

Whilst the profession as a whole deserves more esteem, being a teacher in and of itself does not necessitate respect. There is a spectrum of performance in all professions. Just as some doctors are better at diagnosing and treating disease than others, and some lawyers produce more favourable court outcomes for their clients, some teachers produce better outcomes for their students. However, unlike in law and medicine, there is no reward for teachers who excel. Whilst doctors and lawyers who stand out are able to obtain greater financial reward, greater esteem, and progress further in their career, teachers have little in the way of comparable opportunity. Teachers seeking greater opportunity, greater remuneration, or greater recognition are forced to transition to the private sector, or take on additional administrative roles, rather than work towards improving outcomes for their students. The current system does not promote excellence in teaching. Consequently, the highly ambitious teacher, who does not want to transition to an administrative or leadership role, such as that of a school principal, is stuck turning the wheel, while their neighbours in medicine, law, and other fields are able to climb to greater heights of recognition and compensation.

Education changes lives. Good teachers, teachers who are highly motivated, passionate, and academically literate, provide good education. Investing in teachers and raising the esteem of the profession benefits all in society. To do so, we need to raise the standard for entry into the profession. OECD recommendations suggest that no more than the top 30% of students should become teachers, meaning ATAR requirements should start in the low 80s. Some may argue that elevation of standards will decrease the supply of teachers, and while it is possible that the number of applicants will shrink temporarily, the higher bar for entry is likely to attract new applicants who had previously been deterred. However, simply demanding more from students applying for teaching is not a complete solution. It is unreasonable to ask for more without providing a reciprocal reward. Financial incentives must be put in place for those teachers who stand out from their colleagues in improving student outcomes. Research and development into a system of reward and progression for exceptional teachers must be undertaken as a priority.  

Until teaching is given greater reverence in the public consciousness, there is work to be done. We will know that teaching is where it belongs when the next generation of high achievers is anxiously awaiting news of their admission to medicine, law, and education.

References

OECD TALIS 2018

https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/1d0bc92a-en/1/1/3/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/1d0bc92a-en&_csp_=1418ec5a16ddb9919c5bc207486a271c&itemIGO=oecd&itemContentType=book

OECD TALIS 2018 Australia Profile

https://gpseducation.oecd.org/CountryProfile?plotter=h5&primaryCountry=AUS&treshold=10&topic=TA#:~:text=Teaching%20was%20the%20first%2Dchoice,and%20economies%20participating%20in%20TALIS.

Monash 2022 - Perceptions of Teaching

https://www.monash.edu/perceptions-of-teaching