Student teachers face testing times

All student teachers will have to pass a reading, writing and maths test before they can graduate.

The new rule will come into force across the country in 2016 as part of an overhaul of teacher training.

The government has pledged "swift and decisive action" to improve the education of teachers, as it releases a report on Friday about how to do just that.

The review, led by Australian Catholic University vice-chancellor Greg Craven, found some courses were not up to scratch and said the standard across the board had to be lifted.

In response, the government will beef up regulator Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership.

All universities offering teaching courses face tougher accreditation to make sure standards are high and kept that way.

As part of that new accreditation process, universities will have to prove they have strong partnerships with schools.

This should ensure student teachers get to spend more time in real classrooms instead of university lecture halls and make sure what they are learning matches the skills they will need in the real world.

Professor Craven said having close partnerships between universities and schools was "the single most important action to be pursued".

The review found there were many concerns about how "classroom-ready" beginner teachers were under the current system.

And there isn't enough professional support for new teachers, which can lead to them leaving the job altogether.

The review recommended every new teacher be paired with a highly skilled mentor.

It also said universities must take personal attributes into account when recruiting people into teaching courses, and that trainees should get classroom time early in their study so they can decide if teaching is really for them.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne said the review set high expectations for everyone involved in initial teacher education including universities.

"It also makes a clear case that providers be held accountable for the quality of the teaching graduates they produce," he said.

Mr Pyne hopes the majority of the review's five key proposals and 38 recommendations will be implemented within two years.