Catholic Schools NSW welcomes the common-sense return of the one-year education pathway

MEDIA RELEASE: Catholic Schools NSW welcomes the common-sense return of the one-year education pathway

Catholic Schools NSW welcomes the decision by the NSW Government to reinstate the one-year education pathway.

Catholic Schools NSW CEO, Dallas McInerney, said that the reinstatement of the one-year pathway was a common-sense approach to tackling the teacher shortage.

“The return of the one-year qualification is a common-sense approach that Catholic Schools NSW first called for in 2021.”

“Quality, not quantity, is what matters. And, as recent reports demonstrate, one-year qualifications such as the DipEd do not result in reduced teacher or training quality.”

“A two-year master’s degree was a substantial barrier to mid-career professionals looking to move into the teaching profession or those who couldn’t meet the financial pressure of forgoing two years’ salary for study. Limiting options to a two-year master’s degree was a one size fits all approach that was not delivering for the profession or students.”

“I’m glad to see the government exercising an open mind in tackling the teacher shortage affecting all three sectors: Catholic, Independent and Government.”

This decision comes after support from the NSW Productivity Commission, the Commonwealth Productivity Commission, the Commonwealth Government’s Quality Initial Education Review, and The Centre for Independent Studies.