Teachers must now pass mandatory literacy, numeracy tests

Previously, about one in 20 new teachers approved to work in Victorian state, independent and Catholic schools had failed, or not yet sat the compulsory test.

Those teachers received provisional registration and were required to pass the test within two years.

But Victorian Education Minister James Merlino said that from the start of this month, graduates will no longer get provisional registration to teach in schools if they have flunked the test or not sat it.

“Great teaching changes lives. In fact, aside from a child’s immediate family, teachers have the greatest impact in their development,” Mr Merlino said.

“That’s why we expect so much from them and also why we are making sure all new teachers meet literacy and numeracy standards before they teach our kids.”

The test is a federal government initiative designed to ensure teachers can read, write and perform simple maths equations.

From mid-2020, every jurisdiction must ensure all newly registered teachers have passed it.

Passing the test demonstrates a person is in the top 30 per cent of adults when it comes to literacy and numeracy. Aspiring teachers are expected to pass the test within three attempts.

Australian Education Union Victorian branch president Meredith Peace said she supported any move to ensure high teaching standards were met, but lifting the entry standards for teaching courses was a better way of tackling the issue.

“If people aren't able to pass a literacy and numeracy test, that raises real concern about those individuals' capacity to teach,” she said.

In Victoria, Labor's hardened position on the literacy and numeracy tests has coincided with tough new entry standards for teaching degrees.

This year, Victorian students wanting to study teaching must achieve an ATAR of at least 70, up from an ATAR of 65 last year.

The changes, which are aimed at attracting the best and brightest to the profession, have led to a significant decline in university offers to aspiring teachers, with first round offers declining by 22 per cent last year.

Federal Labor is calling for even tougher entry standards for teaching courses, and wants to ensure universities are enrolling students with ATARs of around 80.

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership deputy chief executive Edmund Misson said the literacy and numeracy test was only one key indicator of a person’s teaching abilities and classroom readiness.

He said the organisation supported “moves to enable all teachers to be impactful on learners and their progress, from the moment they enter the classroom”.

Universities have previously questioned whether the literacy and numeracy tests were necessary.

A 2015 pilot of the test found that 92 per cent of students passed the literacy section and 90 per cent passed the numeracy section.