Page 28 - Tropic Magazine Issue 20

TROPIC • EDUCATION

Teaching assets

PRIORITISING EDUCATION
Schools in regional areas like
Cairns could face future teacher
shortages, as Trinity Anglican
School’s Principal explains.
Words Paul Sjogren

As educators, we are continually
looking at ways of improving the
learning outcomes of the students in
our schools. As so much research has
shown, one of the most important
factors is the quality of the teacher.
However, the flow of well-trained
teachers graduating from our
universities is reducing. This is an
emerging topic that will become a
major issue over the coming years, How does this impact teaching and
particularly in regional and rural learning?
schools that are already finding it In Cairns, there is already data • Australia had a significant decline
challenging to attract and retain showing that maths and science in scientific literacy performance
quality staff, particularly in STEM classes are increasingly being taught between 2006 and 2015.
fields and languages. In science and by teachers without qualifications • The percentage of year 12 students
mathematics, content knowledge in those areas and across Australia, choosing physics declined from 21%
is a crucial precursor to success as a an average of 20-25% of maths in 1992 to 14% in 2012.
teacher. As an engineer in my past and science classes are estimated • From 1999 to 2013, students
life, I am qualified and love to teach to be taught by teachers without choosing only the most basic level of
mathematics and physics, formal qualifications in science or mathematics rose from 37% to 52%.
but I should not be teaching a mathematics. Approximately 40% • By 2014, 21.4% of female year 12
literature class, a music class or of physics teachers will retire in students studied no maths subject
even a biology class, as my content the next 10 years but only 10% of at all.
knowledge in those areas is not at all trainee science teachers are We consider STEM to be a critical
the required standard. specialising in physics.
learning area at TAS and we are
blessed to have terrific science and
maths teachers across all year levels.
Our teaching staff are in demand
by publishers and curriculum
organisations because of their topic
knowledge and experience. The quality
of our STEM courses and teachers,
combined with our digital technology
opportunities, including a sequenced,
high standard robotics and coding
program, makes our STEM program a
key part of what makes TAS graduates
so successful.

MORE: tas.qld.edu.au

28 • Tropic • Issue 20