The Federal Government has announced it will provide over $170 million in funding to state and territory governments in reward payments for their progress in national teacher quality reforms. The funding forms part of the $550 million Smarter Schools National Partnership for Improving Teacher Quality.

 

“This funding recognises and rewards the effort of governments and schools to improve the quality of our nation’s teachers and school leaders,”  Federal School Education Minister Peter Garrett.

 

The reward funding comes after the COAG Reform Council  (CRC) released its findings into the progress being made by states and territories in meeting the National Partnership Goals.

 

“The COAG report makes it clear the reforms are being implemented, with 96 per cent of agreed milestones achieved and significant progress made towards achieving the remaining four per cent,” Mr Garrett said.

 

Under the partnership, governments are delivering nationally significant and long-lasting reforms targeting key points in the teacher ‘lifecycle’ to attract, train, place, develop and retain quality teachers and leaders in our schools and classrooms.

 

Reforms include:

  • introducing the first ever National Standards for both principals and teachers
  • improved reward structures for teachers and leaders who work in disadvantaged Indigenous, rural/remote and hard-to-staff schools
  • increased school-based decision-making about recruitment, staffing mix and budget
  • improving the quality of teacher training in partnership with universities
  • improved in-school support for teachers and leaders, particularly in disadvantaged Indigenous, rural/remote and hard-to-staff schools. 

 

“The CRC has acknowledged that much work has been done by states and territories to improve teacher quality through the facilitation phase of the partnership,” Mr Garrett said.