Professional Experience

Professional Experience

Improving the Practical Component of Teacher Education

From 2010 Improving the Practical Component of Teacher Education (IPCTE) program funds have been transferred into the higher education Commonwealth Grant Scheme funding and included in the new funding cluster for education units of study.

Under the Improving the Practical Component of Teacher Education (IPCTE) program the Australian Government provided an additional $18.02 million in 2008 and $18.809 million in 2009 to eligible higher education providers to help ensure that teacher education students undertake high quality professional experience.

Higher education providers used their IPCTE program grant to improve the quality of professional experience in relation to the following:

  • its management and organisation;
  • partnerships and relationships with schools and other professional placement settings;
  • the student experiences while on placement and the connections between school and campus based study;
  • providing support for students undertaking placements in rural and remote Australia, Indigenous communities or difficult to staff schools;
  • providing flexibility and support for students undertaking placements who have family, carer or employment commitments; and
  • consulting state and territory governments and the non-government school sectors to align pre-service teacher education programs (including professional experience) with workforce planning needs.

IPCTE program grants were provided to eligible higher education providers in accordance with Chapter 8A of the Other Grants Guidelines 2008.

The Australian Government is committed to an education system that pursues excellence for all Australian schools and where every child receives the highest quality education. This commitment is part of a national agenda for school reform.

Improving the teacher education practicum remains an Australian Government priority. The $550 million to the Smarter Schools – Improving Teacher Quality National Partnership agreement includes pre-service teacher education reforms, such as introducing a national system for accrediting teacher education courses and specific measures to support the teacher education practicum.