By Cam Lucadou-Wells
ABOUT 150 new teachers who have not passed literacy and numeracy tests are able to teach in Victorian government schools this year, Education Minister James Merlino has confirmed.
At a ‘back to school’ event with Premier Daniel Andrews at Berwick Primary School on 31 January, Mr Merlino said the teachers were provisionally registered as part of a “transition phase” for the tests introduced last July.
Some of the teachers, including those who had failed the tests last year, were unable to sit – or re-sit – the tests due to “medical or family reasons”, Mr Merlino said.
As part of the provisional registration, the teachers are given a further six months to pass the test, he said.
Each teacher is given three opportunities to sit and pass the test, but all must pass to gain registration for 2018.
“This is an important measure of a teacher’s readiness to teach,” Mr Merlino said.
“This will all be fixed up within six months, and this year no teacher who doesn’t pass the test will be registered to teach.”
At Berwick Primary School, Mr Merlino and Mr Andrews chatted with some of the school’s 153 Preps on their first day.
The 1146-strong student population includes four new sets of twins, and is part of the Casey growth corridor of more than 50,000 students.
This week, 10 new government schools will open, including three in Casey.
The new Casey schools are Barton Primary School in Cranbourne West, Tulliallan Primary School in Cranbourne North and Wilandra Rise Primary School in Clyde North.
Mr Merlino said the new schools as well as 42 more in the “construction pipeline” and more than 1000 school upgrade projects were part of a $1.8 billion infrastructure spend.
The 2017 curriculum includes new subjects in coding, Chinese language and culture, and respectful relationships.
“For the last two years, we have put people first, building the Education State so that every community can access a quality school like this one in Berwick,” Mr Merlino said.
Shadow education spokesman Nick Wakeling said the situation made a mockery of Mr Andrews’ promise to turn Victoria into the ‘Education State’.
Mr Wakeling said the government should stop pushing “divisive social agendas” such as the Safe Schools program, and focus on basic literacy and numeracy.
“How can parents have any faith in their children receiving a quality education when many teachers can’t even read, write and count at a basic level?”
