Dr Michael Johnston: A professional standards dilemma

Earlier this week, teachers’ unions accused Minister of Education Erica Stanford of a “blatant power grab.”

 
This followed Stanford’s announcement that the Teaching Council will no longer set professional standards for teacher training. The Ministry of Education will take over this responsibility.

Dr Michael Johnston: Getting teaching standards up to standard

Effective policy reform often comes from seemingly minor initiatives. Small changes can lead to significant improvements if they incentivise the right things. The current revisions to the s for the Teaching Profession are a perfect example of this.

The Teaching Council, the professional body overseeing the teaching profession, sets the Standards. Teachers must meet all six to be able to practice in New Zealand. The Standards therefore, provide strong incentives for training providers to focus on course content that enables graduates to meet them.