[LINK] Reboot ICT teacher training to halt the computing brain drain

[Andy Farkas]

<http://delimiter.com.au/2014/05/09/reboot-ict-teacher-training-halt-computing-brain-drain/>

I've posted the delimiter version because of this particular bit
by one of the commenters:

<quote>
BruceH Posted 09/05/2014 at 1:03 pm | Permalink | Reply

I’m happy to go on the record about this.

I’ve not long left a senior role at IT Outsourcer and wanted to
get out of the race and into teaching/training – so I’m just
finishing my TAE.

Just before I left I enquired about teaching at secondary school
and found out that I would need my Bachelor in Education. No
problem I thought, 1 year out of the workforce – no biggy for a
career change. So I went to apply and SURPRISE you need at least
2 current (within 7 years) bachelor level qualifications as a
primary and secondary teaching subject. 25 years of experience
didn’t could apparently. Oh, and that MBA – isn’t really relevant
(we then had the “I just spent $30K with you to get this qual, so
it better become relevant” conversation – wasn’t pretty). Hmmm…
the year off work is starting to look a lot like 3 – that becomes
problematic for income.

So, here is the thing. There are a lot of senior level IT people
leaving the industry, a lot want to give something back but 3
years is a long time off work for a career change.

So, I lamented with a friend over at the DECS (Dept of edu etc)
and that the learning pathway for teachers looked a lot like it
was geared up for people to roll out of secondary school, into
Uni and then get into Teaching on the back of a double Arts degree
or two. He said that there was an announcement coming that might
make adult pathways easier because the department were faced with
an ageing workforce issue, especially with Men leaving within the
next few years and needed to think a lot outside of the square to
recruit and my issue was a great opportunity as the IT industry is
male dominated. (I thought there were some world’s aligning)

So, two weeks later, the Premier, standing with the unions
announces that SA needs to have the best quality teachers in the
country, so new teachers will now need a Masters of Education to
teach at Middle/Secondary school – so that 3 year career break and
full time study is now 4 years minimum for the two teaching
subjects and for the Masters of Education – this further bias the
pathway to those straight out of school with no life skills or
existing living standards and tends to prevent those with the
sciences applying because of the extremely high study workload
required to get 2 degrees,let alone go on and get the teaching
qualification.

There are a lot of IT pro’s out there who would make excellent
teachers – but at 4 years off work full time studying, you aren’t
going to get them involved. I have little time when the politics
of the day suggest teacher shortages because between the pollies
and the unions – you are ignoring those with decent life experience
and skills.

Want to get IT folks (or people with 20 years experience in anything
really) into teaching, then this is the issue. Fix the pathway, make
it easy for people to RPL based on experience.
</quote>

-andyf