Student teachers to be tested on literacy, numeracy in final year of university study

Updated

Education students at New South Wales universities will need to pass a literacy and numeracy test before they will be approved to start their final-year practicum.

Education Minister Adrian Piccoli said the program would be trialled in August and rolled out from mid-2015 across the state.

Mr Piccoli said it was part of a push to improve the level of teaching in NSW schools, amid concerns some new teachers struggle to explain maths and grammar concepts to their students.

"We have great teachers in NSW and now we are taking further steps to improve the quality of teaching for the next generation of teachers," he said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Minister said it was a recommendation that came out of a review into the sector last year.

The test will be quite difficult and complex, but students would be able to sit it as many times as necessary, he said.

"Other professions set their own standards externally from what the university does," he told the ABC.

"Lawyers do it, accountants do it, doctors do it, and we're doing a similar thing in education.

"To be registered and accredited to teach in NSW, you'll need to have passed this literacy and numeracy test."

The online tests, which may include a writing exercise along with fundamental literacy and numeracy skills, are being developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER).

NSW will be be the first state to trial the test.

ABC/AAP

Topics: teachers, university-and-further-education, schools, subjects, education, states-and-territories, government-and-politics, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

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