Independent assurance report to Parliament

Ordered to be published

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER May 2019

PP No 27, Session 2018–19

Independent assurance report to Parliament

Ordered to be published

VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT PRINTER February 2019

PP No 18, Session 2018–19

We have consulted with VIT and DET, and we considered their views when reaching our audit conclusions. As required by section 16(3) of the Audit Act 1994, we gave a draft copy of this report, or relevant extracts, to those agencies and asked for their submissions and comments. We also provided a copy of the report to the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Responsibility for the accuracy, fairness and balance of those comments rests solely with the agency head.

Responses were received as follows:

For professional learning to become ingrained in the everyday practices of teachers, education systems must support schools to create and sustain cultures that value continuous improvement. This is critical to DET's vision for a smarter, fairer and more prosperous Victoria, as increasing the effectiveness of teaching is positively correlated with improvements in student outcomes. DET encourages this systemic change through FISO—the Education State agenda's flagship strategy.

As the system's regulatory body, VIT has an obligation to assure the community that teachers maintain the currency of their practice by engaging in regular professional learning. This obligation requires VIT to have clear accountability mechanisms, robust risk management and compliance systems, and access to high-quality data.

1.1 What is professional learning?

Teaching is a profession that requires a highly-specialised and dynamic workforce. To practise in Victoria, prospective teachers must complete an accredited education course that enables them to develop a broad spectrum of skills and knowledge. Among these skills is the ability to understand and apply different pedagogical theories, strategies, and techniques.

Throughout their careers, teachers undertake various formal and informal learning activities to strengthen their practice, known as professional learning. It is important for education systems to invest in professional learning, as teacher quality has a considerable influence on student outcomes. Overall, the benefits of professional learning should extend beyond the individual teacher to the broader school environment. This is because professional learning is most effective when teachers collaborate with one another to challenge their pre‑existing beliefs and practices.