Bonus pay for teachers not enough, warns expert
Bonus pay for high performing teachers will fail if implemented in isolation, leading educator Professor Stephen Dinham OAM from the University of Melbourne鈥檚 Graduate School of Education has warned.
Speaking at a public lecture last night (Tuesday 27 September), Professor Dinham said a new approach to teachers鈥� salaries must be linked to the introduction of national teaching standards.
鈥淧revious attempts to drive improvement in teacher quality and to attract, retain, recognise and reward accomplished teachers have largely failed,鈥� Professor Dinham said. 鈥淥ne of the key reasons is that such schemes have never been mainstreamed to form an effective salary and career structure.鈥�
According to Professor Dinham, current salary-career structures are in urgent need of attention. Up to 25 per cent of teachers beginning their career resign in the first three years and another resignation spike occurs when teachers reach the top of their pay scales after approximately 10 -12 years.
鈥淭he current system not only fails to attract and retain teachers, but it also fails to drive teacher quality. It is loosely connected, outdated and increasingly unattractive. If it doesn鈥檛 change, we can expect to slide down the ranks on international measures such as the Program for International Assessment (PISA),鈥� he warned.
Professor Dinham called for the two current agendas of performance pay and national standards to be linked to form a new salary-career structure for teachers.
鈥淎ustralia鈥檚 new set of national teaching standards provides a vehicle to move to a nationally consistent model of learning, recognition and reward fit,鈥� he said. 鈥淎fter many years of false starts the key pieces of the quality teaching and learning puzzle are quickly coming together.
鈥淭o drive improvement quality of teaching and standards must be linked to a new salary structure providing recognition and reward for teachers.鈥�
Professor Dinham said there would be challenges implementing a new career structure for teachers, but recognized the importance in addressing educational disadvantages.
鈥淭he biggest equity issue in Australian education today isn鈥檛 computers, new buildings or equipment. It鈥檚 each student having a quality teacher,鈥� he said.
鈥淟ife isn鈥檛 fair, but good teaching and good schools are the best means we have of overcoming disadvantage and opening the doors of opportunity for young people.鈥�
Professor Dinham was speaking at the first public event in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education鈥檚 new building, at 234 Queensberry Street.
Provided by University of Melbourne
