Student teachers to undergo literacy and numeracy exams

Aspiring teachers who can't spell or count will no longer graduate, with a new national literacy and numeracy exam being introduced in Australia's universities, writes Chloe Booker for The Sydney Morning Herald.

News Limited reported that Education Minister Christopher Pyne was to announce that a pilot programme will be introduced in August. Student teachers tested as part of the pilot will still graduate even if they flunk the exam. But as of next year, those who fail can expect to look for another vocation.

Pyne said he wanted to ensure Australia got it right when selecting teachers. "For too long there have been public concerns about the variability in the quality of teaching graduates and in the effectiveness of existing ¬programmes in preparing new teachers," he said.
Full report on The Sydney Morning Herald site