Senator Birmingham's 'Five Truths'

On the false assumption that less is required of primary teachers, many more places have been provided than there are teaching positions available, while areas where there is a great need, such as science and mathematics, are not being catered for.

Accepting students with such low entry scores into the profession devalues the role of the profession and discourages the most able students from considering teaching as a profession. In Finland teaching is very difficult to get into – only 7% of those who apply are accepted and the selection process is rigorous

Genuine quality control is almost non-existent. It is impossible to thoroughly evaluate 48 providers and 400 courses. The process of assessment becomes one of ticking boxes and no course has yet been deemed unsatisfactory.

This is clearly where we need far more Government intervention. This would involve only providing funding should only be provided in areas where there is a need, and only to teacher education institutions with a proven track record.

We do not need any more political grandstanding but a long term bi-partisan strategy to begin turning our schools around.