OVERWHELMING support has emerged among the nation’s teachers for merit-based pay, with a majority believing wages should be pegged to competence and qualifications.
A national survey of 13,000 teachers, almost a third of the profession, found that two in three believe schools have difficulty retaining staff.
Of that group, 70 per cent believe paying more to the most competent and those with extra qualifications would help stem the exodus.
While teacher unions have argued strenuously against the idea of linking pay to students’ results, the survey reveals one in four supports higher pay for teachers whose students achieve specified goals.
The study, commissioned by the federal Education Department, comes before the national conference of the Australian Education Union in Sydney today, which is expected to criticise the Rudd Government’s education revolution for focusing too narrowly on technology.
The union’s incoming federal president, Angelo Gavrielatos, in his opening address today is expected to call for literacy and numeracy to be the foundation of the Government’s education policy.
Just who is surprised that a large majority of teachers surveyed think that their pay should reflect both their qualifications and the results that they get in the course of their teaching practice? The socialist mindset of their union has been clearly rejected here and it is time that they recognised that and dropped their objections to merit based pay for teachers.
Cheers Comrades
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Iain Hall's SANDPIT 
Merit based pay? You mean, like, paying people what they deserve as an individual? Instead of what some union decides the industry is worth? I thought everyone hated that idea.
Incidentally, it would’ve been nice of the AEU to attack Rudd *before* the election. Surely they wouldn’t pretend to be something they’re not, just to get into government?
How is it that the dinosaurs in the union – especially the Victorian Branch survive? Kick the morons out and get a better qualified teachiing profession.
Good post.
My only problem with merit based pay is how do you measure it? Does this mean that teachers at top end private schools that weed out the less able students so as to achieve higher academic results will be advantaged over state school teachers who have to teach every dummy put in front of them?
I just hope that “merit” based promotion and salary increases doesn’t mean what it does in every other area of public service – advantage for the favourites.
It may well be difficult Tony but It would seem that a majority of teachers want both the recognition and the money that would be involved.
Merit pay would create a system of competition, rather than collaboration, among teachers. No longer would I share the approaches, lessons, and insights I have since sharing would be to my detriment. I may gain, but the students would lose.
drpezz
I don’t think that there is any kind of dichotomy between judging a teacher’s meriting better pay for performance and the willingness of any teacher helping their fellows. As it stands student’s lose when some teachers just “cruise” through their job while others put in the effort.
I have always thought that teaching is one of those professions that require a vocation rather than just a desire to collect a pay packet each week.
Welcome to my blog BTW 🙂