Professional learning finalised

By Jennifer Leete

The Department of Education and Training (DET) has finally sent the promised professional development funding to schools, and has finalised its professional learning policy.

The policy, at this stage, is only available on the Department's website but is about to be printed and distributed to schools in hard copy.

Four new documents have been produced:

• Professional Learning Policy for Schools
• Using and Reporting on Teacher Professional Learning Funds
• Using External Professional Learning Providers
• Supporting the Induction of New Teachers.

The professional learning policy requires that the school plan will now have a professional learning component that "should be developed collaboratively with staff". It goes on to say "individuals and groups within the school should be involved in identifying their learning needs and goals for professional growth within the context of the priorities of the school and the department". DET has identified the following priorities for professional learning which need to be considered when school plans are being developed:

• beginning teachers
• use of information and computer technology for teaching and learning
• literacy and numeracy
• quality teaching
• syllabus implementation
• career development
• welfare and equity.

The policy goes on to propose that schools establish a professional learning team and that "staff membership on the professional learning team should be representative and determined according to agreed practice within the school".

It should be noted that the funds allocated are for teachers and not other staff members in schools.

While the Federation was consulted about the contents of all four of these documents, including the method of allocation of funds to schools, they do not represent agreed documents. They are DET policy, not Federation's.

The procedures in relation to the use of external learning providers are very complex. Federation raised concerns about the potential for "carpetbaggers" to seek to profit by selling their professional development wares to schools. Federation emphasised the need for DET itself to provide appropriate consultancy and curriculum support to schools. As you will soon be able to see once the restructure is completely implemented, to a large extent our concerns have fallen on deaf ears. There simply are not enough curriculum consultants to support teachers in schools.

The research on teacher professional development shows that the best professional development involves releasing colleagues at the school level in order to engage in collaborative learning activities which directly impact on what they are doing in their classrooms. Clearly, the need to access DET consultancy and expertise to support this work would prevent the problem which is likely to occur of each school re-inventing the wheel.

Federation will be preparing written advice to schools on professional development, including the use of the funds.

Our advice will largely be based on the recommendations of Professor Tony Vinson's Inquiry into the Provision of Public Education in NSW.

Jennifer Leete is the Deputy President.

For further information

March 2004 contents