ARTICLES
REPORTS
CONSIDERING RETIREMENT?
Almost five years ago STANSW adopted a very simple and obvious
plan I developed in response to a 2009 Report commissioned by
the OECD, called the Teaching And Learning International Study
(TALIS). Former Education Minister, Peter Garrett, presented
it to an audience on 2nd November, 2012, and announced
the initial version of the Gonski Report that was produced as a
consequence of the TALIS study, since a great deal of it reflected
the views of Australian teachers, in particular from those who had
just begun their teaching careers. The two loudest pleas from
that cohort were for reduced face-to-face classroom activities
for their initial years, also for access to expert Mentors. The
then Gillard Government was particularly interested in assisting
STEM teachers, as Australian standards had ‘flat-lined’ relative
to most countries in the Study. There were also firm plans for an
Australia-wide syllabus. Having assured support for the Gonski
plan, new Prime Minister Abbott decided to terminate it at the
end of 2014 but the Senate of the time insisted it continue until
the end of 2018. Due only to the determination of the NSW Baird
Government, notably the then Education Minister, Adrian Piccoli,
the Gonski plan is still alive, albeit in a seriously diluted form. act as a mentor to the other. Our STANSW model aims to utilise
recently-retired experts to be flexible enough to be capable of
accessing even regional and isolated schools if necessary, and
disadvantaged schools across the State, from K-12. The majority
of contacts would be simple – phone calls, text messages or
emails – however, the capacity for travel even to isolated schools
would be available since the Mentors are retired and flexible.
Moreover, by not being members of any school, they could even
act as confidantes for struggling novice teachers.
The STANSW Flexible Mentors Plan aims to provide those
recently-retired experts, paid to act as Mentors to new and/or
inexperienced teachers of STEM-based subjects, K-6 as well
as 7-12, and right across NSW. Certainly there are Mentors in a
number of schools already, government as well as private and
Catholic. However, that is only possible in schools having at least
two teachers in the required STEM subjects, such that one can Being a committed scientist, I have always believed a Trial of
the plan is essential. Whether or not this occurs, it is plain that
the services of at least 20 recently-retired expert and committed
teachers will be required, including at least two for each of:
Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Environmental, K-6 and Physics,
plus two general coordinators. If interested, please contact
[email protected]
Tom Alegounarias, Head of BOSTES, gave a most encouraging
endorsement of the plan in 2014, yet nothing was achieved.
However, after five years of failure even to meet the Education
Ministers of NSW to discuss our proposal, success may possibly
be in sight! Both Federal and State Labor Opposition Leaders
have declared Education to be a top priority! I have met with Bill
Shorten, who declared he is “very interested”, and asked me to
send the proposal to him and Shadow Education Minister, Tanya
Plibersek, which of course I did. NSW Education Spokesman,
Jihad Dib, recently visited the STANSW Office, also saying he
was very interested in the proposal.
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 4