Mr BONSON - 2002-08-21
Can you advise the House what has been funded in the 2002-03 budget for professional development for teachers?
ANSWER
I thank the member for Millner for his question. We have stamped our credentials as a government being hell-bent on turning around outcomes right across the board in employment, education and training. We recognise in that, particularly in relation to the schools and getting the outcomes up to more desirable levels, that professional development of our teachers plays a key role. We will be spending a further $300 000 on professional development for teachers over this forthcoming financial year. I am sure that will be welcome news to all teachers. $60 000 will be allocated to support special education and behavioural management professional development across three areas.
There will be special education teachers’ workshops for those newly appointed special education teachers, 20 of whom will have come on in this first year of government. Those workshops will enable these special needs teachers to focus on the very early intervention processes necessary. With regard to team approach in the classroom, there will be workshops to focus assisting classroom teachers how to most effectively interact and deal with their classroom special inclusion assistance, so that they absolutely maximise the interaction and the benefit of having those extra people in the classroom. Behaviour management strategies, again workshop based, will assist classroom teachers to develop those appropriate strategies to reduce and manage those students displaying very difficult classroom and playground behaviour.
Under the broad heading of Education Leadership, there is a new program, Emerging Leaders, which will attract $60 000. That will extend the existing pilot currently being carried out in Arnhem and Darwin to include a cohort from the northern suburbs and Palmerston schools. It is a new leadership program to give teachers the opportunity to develop skills to take on leadership roles right across schools and in school management. Similar to educational leadership, or under the same heading, there is an indigenous capacity building professional development funding of $80 000 used to design and deliver indigenous leadership programs specifically targetting the needs of potential indigenous school leaders.
Under Improved Indigenous Outcomes, Remote Schools Workshop Top End, $50 000 is allocated to hold workshops for whole school teams from remote areas. This proposal builds on a very successful event that was held in Alice Springs a few weeks ago, a remote schools conference. I think there were 200-odd staff from 26 schools. The workshop will focus on a whole school and community approach to implementing the Northern Territory literacy and numeracy strategy and the curriculum framework. Under early childhood, there is $30 000 for professional development to early childhood teachers, a series of workshops to focus on key areas of concern for early childhood teachers and parents.
I guess that is just a snapshot across the board of what we think is necessary in professional development. I would further add that there is a consultative process with the union, all stakeholders, education and community, on what should be in the Teacher Registration Board. I would envisage - and I do not want to predicate the outcome of that consultative process - that the Teacher Registration Board itself would have a fairly key role in determining professional development for teachers. I certainly hope that is the case. I am sure teachers themselves would welcome the opportunity to have a more hands-on role in determining what should be run and where, because they are at the coalface; they know the needs of both themselves and their colleagues. We would expect that process to go on through the latter part of this year. I look forward to an outcome where we can build and develop the Teacher Registration Board which, in itself, will go a long way to improving the professional status of teachers in the community.
ANSWER
I thank the member for Millner for his question. We have stamped our credentials as a government being hell-bent on turning around outcomes right across the board in employment, education and training. We recognise in that, particularly in relation to the schools and getting the outcomes up to more desirable levels, that professional development of our teachers plays a key role. We will be spending a further $300 000 on professional development for teachers over this forthcoming financial year. I am sure that will be welcome news to all teachers. $60 000 will be allocated to support special education and behavioural management professional development across three areas.
There will be special education teachers’ workshops for those newly appointed special education teachers, 20 of whom will have come on in this first year of government. Those workshops will enable these special needs teachers to focus on the very early intervention processes necessary. With regard to team approach in the classroom, there will be workshops to focus assisting classroom teachers how to most effectively interact and deal with their classroom special inclusion assistance, so that they absolutely maximise the interaction and the benefit of having those extra people in the classroom. Behaviour management strategies, again workshop based, will assist classroom teachers to develop those appropriate strategies to reduce and manage those students displaying very difficult classroom and playground behaviour.
Under the broad heading of Education Leadership, there is a new program, Emerging Leaders, which will attract $60 000. That will extend the existing pilot currently being carried out in Arnhem and Darwin to include a cohort from the northern suburbs and Palmerston schools. It is a new leadership program to give teachers the opportunity to develop skills to take on leadership roles right across schools and in school management. Similar to educational leadership, or under the same heading, there is an indigenous capacity building professional development funding of $80 000 used to design and deliver indigenous leadership programs specifically targetting the needs of potential indigenous school leaders.
Under Improved Indigenous Outcomes, Remote Schools Workshop Top End, $50 000 is allocated to hold workshops for whole school teams from remote areas. This proposal builds on a very successful event that was held in Alice Springs a few weeks ago, a remote schools conference. I think there were 200-odd staff from 26 schools. The workshop will focus on a whole school and community approach to implementing the Northern Territory literacy and numeracy strategy and the curriculum framework. Under early childhood, there is $30 000 for professional development to early childhood teachers, a series of workshops to focus on key areas of concern for early childhood teachers and parents.
I guess that is just a snapshot across the board of what we think is necessary in professional development. I would further add that there is a consultative process with the union, all stakeholders, education and community, on what should be in the Teacher Registration Board. I would envisage - and I do not want to predicate the outcome of that consultative process - that the Teacher Registration Board itself would have a fairly key role in determining professional development for teachers. I certainly hope that is the case. I am sure teachers themselves would welcome the opportunity to have a more hands-on role in determining what should be run and where, because they are at the coalface; they know the needs of both themselves and their colleagues. We would expect that process to go on through the latter part of this year. I look forward to an outcome where we can build and develop the Teacher Registration Board which, in itself, will go a long way to improving the professional status of teachers in the community.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016