Federation Deputy President Jennifer Leete takes down details while speaking to overseas trained teachers.

Overseas trained teachers need more support

Federation has pursued concerns about the lack of Department of Education and Training support for the induction of overseas-trained teachers for quite some time, writes JENNIFER LEETE.

Of particular concern is difficulties experienced by overseas-trained teachers with a language background other than English. Some of the associated issues are language and communication difficulties, and cultural issues associated with making the shift to NSW schools and students, often at the same time as experiencing the kind of personal and cultural adjustments that arise from relocation to a new country and culture.

Following consideration of this issue by Annual Conference in 2000, Federation held discussions with Department of Education and Training (DET) and two changes arose:

• The DET developed new specifications for tenders for the delivery of the Proficiency in English Assessment Test (PEAT). These included a more demanding oral component as well as test items that are more specifically grounded in school policies, practices and communications. Federation has anecdotal feedback from principals that the test is now more rigorous.
• The DET amended its induction course for overseas-trained teachers from a 3-day course to a 10-day course involving extra days in schools. However, this course is still voluntary and is offered only after an overseas-trained teacher was permanently employed. It is also the case that overseas-trained teachers often don't do the course or are not encouraged to do it until after they have been identified as experiencing difficulties.

Discussions with then Education Minister John Watkins, ahead of the state election, led to the inclusion of the following in the ALP policy document on "The Three Rs": "Making an orientation program mandatory for overseas trained teacher employment applicants before granting them approval to teach."

Since the state election discussions with the DET have revealed there is no new funding allocated to implement this commitment. Essentially DET has proposed re-jigging the current induction course into a mandatory 12-day course for overseas trained teachers to complete this as soon as possible after obtaining a permanent approval to teach.

Federation has proposed that in addition to this12-day orientation overseas trained teachers should be provided with an extended practicum placement of the same duration as for a postgraduate Diploma of Education. Following permanent appointment overseas trained teachers, like all new NSW teachers, should be provided with a full induction program which includes a 50 per cent reduction in teaching load for the first year of a teacher's appointment. The DET is constrained by the lack of adequate funding by the Government to properly address this issue. Federation has now banned this unfunded policy commitment.

The union will continue to fight for extra resources to address this issue.

Federation Organiser Dean Newbold arranged a meeting of overseas trained teachers held on September 11 at Parramatta RSL. The meeting was a useful forum for discussion of the issues and strategies to address them.

The union has had discussions with the Secondary Principals Council who also see the current DET proposal as inadequate. Federation is seeking input from overseas trained teachers about their issues.

A recent joint meeting with the Federation and the Secondary Principals Council argued the case to the Minister.

Jennifer Leete is the Deputy President.

Did you do your teacher training overseas?

For further information

September 2003 contents