Applications for 2023 are now being taken for the programme, which provides a professional pathway for teachers to become leaders, excel and upskill, according to Education Minister Natalie Hutchins, who added:
“I’m encouraging all our teachers from every school in Victoria to apply for the Teaching Excellence Program – just one year in, we’re already seeing results as teachers take what they have learned back to their classrooms to improve student engagement and outcomes.”
She said the programme, which is a first for Australia, is available to teachers who have a minimum of three years classroom experience. It uses experts in the field to develop additional skills in each teacher's specialist subjects to help them provide students with more in-depth learning.
The Minister said the new expertise can then be shared with students and colleagues. High-performing teachers who took part this year totalled over 220, with more than 500 teachers expected to take part in 2023.
Brochure printing campaigns throughout schools have often helped to attract more attention to programmes such as the Teaching Excellence initiative.
The programme, which is undertaken at the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, also provides those taking part with an opportunity to test emerging and new practices while also developing new teaching methods.