The Victorian government's commitment to lift confidence in teacher preparation is good news, but its focus on ATAR rank misses the mark and risks the exact opposite outcome.

Education Minister James Merlino says he wants to attract the "brightest and best" teachers for our classrooms – and so do we.

The government says it will be compulsory for universities to base entry into teaching courses on both academic performance and personal attributes suitable for teaching.

Teachers are among the most important workers in our community. They educate the next generation across the workforce spectrum.

And we know they do far more than that, often playing the role of mentor, counsellor and problem solver to many students across the 13 years they are in the education system. They need a range of skills and attributes to do this.