• Twelve Teaching Academies for Professional Practice to be established across the state
• $1.6 million commitment from the Victorian Coalition Government
• Coalition Government supporting communities

Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession, Peter Hall, today launched a $1.6 million initiative aimed at improving the quality of teacher education.

Launching the Expressions of Interest process today, Mr Hall said the Academies would complement the highly successful School Centres for Teaching Excellence initiative.

“Twelve Teaching Academies for Professional Practice will be established in various locations across the state to help strengthen school-university partnerships by enabling student teachers to learn on the job skills from experienced mentors in a school environment,” Mr Hall said.

“There is only so much you can learn from a text book and in a lecture theatre,” Mr Hall said.

“The best way of learning to be an excellent teacher is by working with and watching the best teachers in action working in a real school environment.

“I’m delighted to announce a Victorian Government commitment of $1.6 million for these 12 new academies.”

The network of Academies will include the existing seven School Centres for Teaching Excellence.

Each Academy will involve a lead school within a group of schools and one or more partner universities, aiming to:

• improve initial teacher education and the capacity of pre-service teachers to enter the profession;
• immerse pre-service teachers in school environments exhibiting leading professional practice, enabling them to better integrate theory with practice;
• increase the capacity in schools to provide effective practicum to pre-service teachers
• improve the practice of current teachers; demonstrate, develop and share high-quality teaching practice; and
• increase research capacity of teachers and schools.

“These academies provide student teachers with a practical and immersive experience where they will be engaging with school leaders, students and the broader school community,” Mr Hall said.

“The recently launched policy paper, From New Directions to Action: World class teaching and school leadership stated that pre-service teacher education provided the groundwork for major improvements in lifting teacher performance, leading to improved student outcomes.

“It also notes that in their preparation for teaching, pre-service teachers should have extensive exposure to school environments and quality teaching supported by effective partnerships.

“The Academies will support this initiative and boost the quality of pre-service teacher education by allowing pre-service teachers to practice and apply their theoretical learning.”