AGY-6391 | Teachers Certificate Classifiers Committee

Full description

The Teachers Certificate Classifiers Committee reviewed and certified for the Director of the Department of Education that teachers, ex-students of a Departmental Teachers College, or any other person appointed to the NSW teaching system met the Department's standards.

The Committee's structure was laid out in the 1944 Regulations under the Public Service Act, 1902 (Act No.31, 1902), which were gazetted on 14 July 1944. The Committee consisted of the Director General of Education or his nominee as chair person, the Principal or Vice-principal of the Sydney Teachers College, the Principal or Vice-principal of the Armidale Teachers College, and a representative from each of the Public Service Board and the NSW Public School Teachers Federation. The chairperson was usually the Superintendent of Primary Education. The same Regulations also set up the Promotions List Committee to predetermine eligibility for higher positions. This replaced a prior Promotions Committee. (1)

The 1953 Regulations under the Public Service Act, 1902, were gazetted on 17 April 1953. These stated that the Classifiers Committee should include the Principal or Vice-Principal of a Teachers College, no longer specifying which College, but also allowed the Committee to co-opt the Principal or Vice-Principal of any Teachers College other than Sydney. (2)

Further changes occurred to the Committee in 1970. Under the Teaching Service Act, 1970, (Act No.4, 1970), the appointment and control of teachers and some other staff was transferred from the Public Service Board to the Director-General of the Department of Education. Regulations under this Act continued the Classifiers Committee's role. The committee no longer included a representative from the Public Service Board. Instead, the committee consisted of the Director-General's nominee (chair person), the Director of Teaching or his nominee, and a representative of the New South Wales Teachers Federation. The Committee had the power to co-opt when necessary the Principal or Vice-Principal of any Teachers College. (3)

The Teachers Certificate system was introduced after an agreement was reached in late 1943 between the NSW Department of Education and the New South Wales Public School Teachers Federation. The new system was adopted by the Government on 15 December 1943, to begin operation in 1944. (4) It replaced the previous method of teacher classification which Premier W J McKell stated 'had become outmoded by alterations in standards particularly in regard to conditions for admission to the teachers' training courses. Further, its complexity and the difficulties of administration made a general revision desirable'.(5)

The main feature of the new scheme was that salaries were tied to positions, and thus work performed. Under the previous method, salaries were tied to a combination of position and the teacher's classification level. Now two teachers doing the same job, but on different classifications, would no longer be paid different wages. Secondly, a simpler system of classification of schools was introduced. Thirdly, the teacher classification system was also simplified. The previous six classifications were reduced to one, the Teachers Certificate, which certified that those appointed to the State's teaching service met the requirements of educational attainments, teaching skill and probationary service. Those awaiting classification were eligible for the Conditional Certificate, which came with a list of requirements to be fulfilled before it would be upgraded to a Teachers Certificate. (6)

Under the 1944 Regulations, teachers previously classified as 1A, 1B and 2A on 1 July 1943 were automatically entitled to a Teachers Certificate. Those who were previously classified as 2B, 3A and 3B had to be reviewed by the Classifiers Committee. Any previously classified teacher who was not given a Teachers Certificate would receive a Conditional Certificate, and be told how to upgrade to a Teachers Certificate. Teachers who had not previously been classified were deemed 'Uncertificated Teachers' and could also apply for a Conditional Certificate. As well the Classifiers Committee would review the recommendations of Principals of Departmental Teachers Colleges to the Director of Education concerning ex-students eligible for a Teachers Certificate. (7)

Under the 1944 Regulations, the Public Service Board on the recommendation of the Director of Education was still able to hold departmental examinations for the benefit of teachers who held Conditional Certificates or who were 'Uncertificated Teachers'. (8) The Classifiers Committee set the standards for those examinations and reviewed the syllabus and recommended texts, in consultation with the representatives of Sydney Teachers College. The examinations were held annually in May till 1956 and in late August from 1957 until at least 1969. These examinations are not mentioned in the 1970 Regulations under the Teaching Service Act, 1970. (9)

The Teachers Certificate Classifiers Committee appears to have been replaced by the Director-General's Teacher Qualifications Advisory Panel circa 1991.(10)

Endnotes
1. Forty-eighth Annual Report of the Public Service Board for year ended 30 June 1944 in Parliamentary Papers, 1944-45, Vol.1, pp.967-8; Regulation 391(c) in NSW Government Gazette No.69, 14 July 1944, pp.1239-43.
2. Regulation 371(g) in NSW Government Gazette No.76, 17 April 1953, p.1296.
3. Regulation 36 under Teaching Service Act, 1970, Education Gazette (Special Issue) 29 December 1970.
4. Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) 25 August 1943, p.11; 16 December 1943, p.4; 17 December 1943, p.4.
5. SMH, 16 December 1943, p.4.
6. Forty-eighth Annual Report of the Public Service Board for year ended 30 June 1944 in Parliamentary Papers, 1944-45, Vol.1, p.968; NSW Government Gazette No.69, 14 July 1944, pp.1233-53.
7. Regulations 392-3, ibid.
8. Regulation 396, ibid.
9. New South Wales Education Gazette, Vol.38 No.3 February 1944, pp.12-15; Vol.51 No.2 February 1957, p.43; Vol.63 No.1 February 1969, p.45; Vol.63 No.3 April 1969, p.84; Amended Regulations Teaching Service Act, 1970, (Act No.36, 1970).
10. Department of Education and Training, Submission to Inquiry into Recruitment and Training of Teachers, p.59, http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/a21ef08eb2bfbdb7ca256fdb001e6709/$FILE/sub%2033%20part2.pdf accessed 28 June 2010; NSW Legislative Council, Standing Committee on Social Issues, Recruitment and Training of Teachers, Report 35, October 2005.