Teachers are critical to student learning and are being provided with significant on-going support to ensure the Digital Education Revolution is a success.
The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard has written to all teacher employers in Australia indicating that funds of up to $11.25 million of the total ($22.5 million) provided under the state and territory element of the Australian Government Quality Teacher Program (AGQTP) in 2009 should be directed to ICT-related school-based professional development for teachers. Relevant projects will be considered by the state and territory cross-sectoral AGQTP committees and integrated into 2009 Activity Plans.
Under the auspices of the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA), the Australian ICT in Education Committee (AICTEC) is developing a Digital Education Revolution Road Map which will include a Teaching in the Digital Age Work Plan. The Work Plan will focus on the teacher professional development required to integrate ICT into pedagogical practice to meet students’ needs and harness the resources of the Digital Education Revolution. The Work Plan is being informed by the Teaching for the Digital Age Advisory and Reference Groups.
A media release by DPM Gillard announced a reduction in HECs fees by half for people studying science and maths and if you take up teaching in those areas it will be halved again.
HECs incentives for Science and Maths 