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Open borders
New bill allows registered teachers to teach across states .
By Wade Zaglas
Independent Schools Queensland ( ISQ ) has welcomed a new bill that will enable teachers to work across borders “ more freely ”, avoiding much of the red tape involved in transferring registration .
The new bill , recently passed by federal parliament , has been lauded as a way of supporting “ greater workforce mobility across the nation ”. The Mutual Recognition Amendment Bill 2021 will provide registered teachers in one state or territory with “ automatic recognition ” to work in another .
At a time when teacher attrition rates are worryingly high ( close to 50 per cent within the first five years ), the bill may help to “ streamline ” the process of employing teachers interstate , particularly in specialist areas .
ISQ ’ s executive director David Robertson said the Mutual Recognition Amendment Bill 2021 will bring the teaching profession in line with other occupations that are already covered by interstate recognition agreements .
“ This change could have significant benefits for schools and would streamline the process of recruiting and employing teachers from interstate . It comes at a time when Queensland is experiencing strong interstate migration and the independent schooling sector is recording significant enrolment growth ,” Robertson said .
“ The Australian workforce is becoming increasingly mobile and ISQ believes the potential benefits from automatic mutual recognition of teacher registration would outweigh any risks to the effectiveness of current state / territory-based registration arrangements .”
The latest bill amends the Mutual Recognition Act of 1992 , which “ recognises that a person assessed as good enough to practise in a trade or profession in one state or territory should be able to perform the same work anywhere in Australia ”.
Robertson said ISQ “ looked forward to working with the Australian and Queensland Governments on the implementation of the streamlined scheme from July 2021 ”.
However , the passage of the amended bill has been far from smooth , with Green ’ s senator Adam Brandt delivering a scathing rebuke of the government ’ s lack of industry and union consultation during the bill ’ s second reading .
“ It takes a particular kind of arrogance and incompetence to take a really good idea and turn it into something that ’ s a potential threat to people ’ s safety , but that ’ s what the government has done with ... the Mutual Recognition Amendment Bill 2021 ,” he said .
“ It ’ s a good idea in principle to say that people in this country should have the right to move in between states and take their qualifications with them ; I think you ’ d find most people would agree with that . But when you go below that level of principle and work out how to make it happen you
The potential benefits from automatic mutual recognition of teacher registration would outweigh any risks .
can immediately see that there are some issues that have to be worked through …
“ If you ’ re a teacher , you can very readily see that , because the state governments have so much responsibility for our schools – they set the curriculum and put in place standards to deal with the safety of students and of staff that work there – training in one state might not be automatically applicable to another state …
“ It ’ s also important to understand that the registration system we ’ re talking about here isn ’ t just a licence to work for the worker ; it is also in many respects a guarantee for the public .” ■
Australian Greens leader Adam Bandt . Image : Liam Kidston
2 | educationreview . com . au