WA universities reject claims they are turning out under-qualified teachers to work in other States

WA universities have hit back at criticism they are producing under-qualified teachers who are taking advantage of a loophole to work at schools in other States without meeting the same registration standards.

The universities have come under fire for reinstating a one-year graduate diploma for aspiring teachers — who already have a three-year degree in another field — to get them into classrooms faster, instead of insisting they do a two-year postgraduate master’s degree.

Teacher registration bodies in NSW and Victoria have raised concerns about teachers using the one-year WA course as a back door — under national mutual recognition arrangements — to achieve registration in those States.

Governments in those States have said they will look at how to block their employment.

NSW Education Standards Authority said it had received some applications from WA graduates since the one-year qualification was introduced last year, and it expected numbers to rise.

“In 2024, the teacher authority in WA took the unusual step of accrediting qualifications that don’t meet nationally-agreed standards,” NESA chief executive Paul Martin said. “There are no simple solutions to the teacher workforce challenge. But the answer cannot be to lower expectations of teacher preparation.”

But Curtin University school of education head Jeff Brooks said the criticism was unfair, and he found it “frustrating” that solutions to Australia’s “huge teacher shortage” were being dismissed — especially when the alternative was no teacher at all.

“It’s absolutely not a loophole — it’s a teacher registration pathway, that’s it,” he said.

“School systems across Australia are already full of people who qualified as a teacher through the grad dip, because it was in play for many years previously.

“Many of those people are systems leaders. Many of those people are principals. Many of them are highly-decorated, award-winning, amazing teachers.”

Professor Brooks said Curtin introduced the intensive program last year after extensive consultation with the Department of Education.

“We don’t want to bring teachers into the field who are going to fail,” he said. “The pathway itself is not necessarily a predictor of the quality or success of the teachers.”

A spokesperson for Edith Cowan University said claims that WA was lowering standards were unfounded.

“The legislation has simply enabled universities to support teaching workforce needs in WA with the same quality and rigour that we always have,” they said. “Less than 1 per cent of ECU’s graduate diploma of teaching cohort are students from other States.”

A State Government spokesperson said the re-introduction of graduate diplomas offered a more efficient pathway into the teaching profession for holders of non-teaching degrees.

“This has helped to attract future teachers from a variety of learning backgrounds and has bolstered the supply of quality teachers into WA classrooms,” they said.

“It is important to note that the Teacher Registration Board WA’s registration standards have not changed, and all teachers must meet specific requirements to demonstrate that they are fit to teach.

“Teachers must always meet the proficient level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers within three years in order to achieve full registration, no matter their qualification.”