<http://delimiter.com.au/2014/05/09/reboot-ict-teacher-training-halt-computing-brain-drain/>
I've posted the delimiter version because of this particular bit by one of the commenters: <quote> BruceH Posted 09/05/2014 at 1:03 pm | Permalink | Reply I’m happy to go on the record about this. I’ve not long left a senior role at IT Outsourcer and wanted to get out of the race and into teaching/training – so I’m just finishing my TAE. Just before I left I enquired about teaching at secondary school and found out that I would need my Bachelor in Education. No problem I thought, 1 year out of the workforce – no biggy for a career change. So I went to apply and SURPRISE you need at least 2 current (within 7 years) bachelor level qualifications as a primary and secondary teaching subject. 25 years of experience didn’t could apparently. Oh, and that MBA – isn’t really relevant (we then had the “I just spent $30K with you to get this qual, so it better become relevant” conversation – wasn’t pretty). Hmmm… the year off work is starting to look a lot like 3 – that becomes problematic for income. So, here is the thing. There are a lot of senior level IT people leaving the industry, a lot want to give something back but 3 years is a long time off work for a career change. So, I lamented with a friend over at the DECS (Dept of edu etc) and that the learning pathway for teachers looked a lot like it was geared up for people to roll out of secondary school, into Uni and then get into Teaching on the back of a double Arts degree or two. He said that there was an announcement coming that might make adult pathways easier because the department were faced with an ageing workforce issue, especially with Men leaving within the next few years and needed to think a lot outside of the square to recruit and my issue was a great opportunity as the IT industry is male dominated. (I thought there were some world’s aligning) So, two weeks later, the Premier, standing with the unions announces that SA needs to have the best quality teachers in the country, so new teachers will now need a Masters of Education to teach at Middle/Secondary school – so that 3 year career break and full time study is now 4 years minimum for the two teaching subjects and for the Masters of Education – this further bias the pathway to those straight out of school with no life skills or existing living standards and tends to prevent those with the sciences applying because of the extremely high study workload required to get 2 degrees,let alone go on and get the teaching qualification. There are a lot of IT pro’s out there who would make excellent teachers – but at 4 years off work full time studying, you aren’t going to get them involved. I have little time when the politics of the day suggest teacher shortages because between the pollies and the unions – you are ignoring those with decent life experience and skills. Want to get IT folks (or people with 20 years experience in anything really) into teaching, then this is the issue. Fix the pathway, make it easy for people to RPL based on experience. </quote> -andyf _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
