Crossing the Primary and Secondary School Divide in Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Teacher education courses at universities qualify graduates to teach in age-related contexts of primary/early childhood/secondary that reflect the organisational structure of schools. In terms of teacher employment, for some considerable time, these longstanding organisational divisions have been by-passed whereby a shortage of teachers in particular areas (for example a perennial shortage of science and mathematics teachers) has resulted in schools employing teachers in subjects and grade levels for which they are not qualified. More recently, the development of middle schooling, P/K to 10 and P/K to 12 colleges, has created demand for teachers with generic skills able to teach across a wide age range. As universities design teacher education courses that are required to meet the demands of teacher registration organizations, flexibility can be compromised. The intent of this article is to challenge the restrictions of early childhood/primary/secondary divisions and to advocate for more flexibility in the design of teacher education courses. An example of a K-12 Bachelor of Education degree course that produces graduates who meet teacher registration requirements for all three divisions, providing the option to teach across all years of school, is presented. A graduate from this program has enhanced employment opportunities as well as a more flexible career pathway.