Professional+Experience+Office

Clarification to the Director of the Professional Experience OOffice from Rosemary King at NSWIT re Practicum Days for degree courses

From: "King, Rosemary A"  Date: 1 November 2007 4:18:59 PM To:  Subject: RE: Professional Experience - Mapping for New Courses

Dear Yvonne Thank you for your enquiry regarding professional experience requirements, following DEST documentation distributed last week. The NSW Institute of Teachers is currently developing its policy on professional experience. I expect the Institute will distribute professional experience requirements by the end of this year, as part of its supplementary documentation. It is most likely to be mandated from 1 January 2009. At present the recommendation is 40-45 days supervised classroom experience for a one year program, 60 days for a two year program, and 80-100 days supervised classroom experience for a four year program. I have read the DEST requirement. I understand that the 2008 expectation from DEST is project-based only. Although no formal decision has been made it is most likely that the new NSWIT professional experience requirement would match DEST requirements of 60 days for one and two year programs, with at least 40-45 days supervised classroom experience, with either a further 15-20 days in supervised classroom experience or in additional areas listed by DEST, or in other ‘innovative’ education areas created by institutions. Some other institutions have suggested that for secondary education students they will be requiring the extra days in primary school experiences and for primary they will expect students to have early childhood experiences. This is not Institute policy but is a statement of the Institute’s current position. Kind regards Rosemary Rosemary King | NSW Institute of Teachers Senior Policy Officer Initial Teacher Education Level 10  175 Castlereagh Street   SYDNEY   2000 T: +61 2 9268 6318 F: +61 2 9269 0195 M: 0402 302 983 E: rosemary.a.king@nswteachers.nsw.edu.au W: www.nswteachers.nsw.edu.au