Teachers Mentor Program

The Hon. HENRY TSANG: My question is addressed to the Minister to Education and Training. What is the New South Wales Government doing to support beginning teachers?

The Hon. CARMEL TEBBUTT: I think that every member of this House recognises the importance of encouraging, developing and supporting the careers of new teachers. There is no doubt that people join the teaching profession as their vocation, with enormous enthusiasm, dedication and passion. The Government wants to encourage that enthusiasm from the outset of a teacher's career. We want to ensure that they remain in teaching. That is why am pleased to inform the House of the outstanding work the Government is doing to support teachers at the beginning of their career and to ensure the quality of all teachers in New South Wales.

Firstly, we recognise that teachers come into the New South Wales public school system from a variety of pathways. A beginning teacher may be a recent graduate. They may be an experienced casual, or a temporary teacher who is taking up their first permanent appointment. The beginning teacher may have been trained overseas or may be transferring from another State or education system, or may have retrained from another career. Whatever the case, we welcome the diversity which I think adds to the quality of the classroom experience. We value the skills and experience that beginning teachers bring to schools. We are committed to supporting them. Unlike other professions, previously there has not been a professional teaching body in New South Wales to support and develop the careers of teachers. The Government has taken the initiative and has established the Institute of Teachers as a much-needed investment in the future of teachers and the future of education in New South Wales.

At the core of the institute is a framework of professional teaching standards against which teachers will be accredited. That is a major initiative, and it means that teachers arriving in the classroom on day one are able to deliver quality education. The institute will ensure also that teachers are able to demonstrate ongoing growth in their professional expertise and skills. Experienced teachers providing guidance and support as mentors of beginning teachers is a long-established practice in New South Wales schools. The department has developed a specific Teacher Mentor Program, which was introduced as a two-year pilot in 2003-04. The Government expanded the program in 2005 to support more beginning teachers in public schools.

The pilot program initially featured 50 teacher mentors working in 51 schools. The $5.12 million 2005-06 program features 58 teacher mentors working with beginning teachers in 90 schools across the State that have significant patterns of beginning teachers. Teacher mentors work with beginning teachers to establish effective classroom routines, vary their teaching methods to meet the needs of individual students, and manage classroom discipline. Of the 90 schools participating in the program in 2005, 19 are primary schools, 66 are secondary schools and five are central schools. Teacher mentors may work across more than one school, supporting new teachers working in permanent and temporary positions.

An English-History teacher with more than 20 years experience is working with beginning teachers at three campuses of Dubbo College. A typical day for a teacher mentor with a new teacher will include outlining outstanding teaching practice, developing quality teaching programs, observing lessons in progress and providing feedback and guidance. Teacher mentors ensure that students in public schools receive the best education and that public schools retain the best teachers. Feedback about the program from teacher mentors, principals and beginning teachers is very positive, with reports that it is having a significant impact on the retention of new teachers in our schools.

On a number of occasions I have met with new teachers who have had the benefit of the mentoring program. They spoke very highly indeed of the support that it has offered them. The Government has developed also a number of other initiatives that provide beginning teachers with induction programs, mentoring, professional learning, career development and consultancy support. Beginning teachers in schools are supported by induction programs which include orientation to teaching as a career, structured supervision, collegial support and professional networking.