Trainee teacher entry scores drop

As politicians talk about getting the nation's best and brightest in front of classrooms, teacher training courses appear to be dropping entry standards.

New data shows the proportion of teacher education students with a tertiary admissions score (ATAR) below 60 almost doubled from 2005 to 2012.

At the same time, the proportion of teaching students coming from top achievers at school dropped significantly.

Fewer than one in 10 teaching students received ATAR scores above 90.

But the Australian Institute for Teaching and Schools Leadership report on teacher education finds only one-in-five teaching students gained entry based on their ATAR.

Other students entered on the basis of other indicators of academic achievement, essays or personal statements, prior work experience or interviews.

About a third of all new teaching students had been working full-time before heading back to study.

The report's findings threw up many questions about entry standards for teacher courses, institute chairman John Hattie said.

"Should we be concerned, or should we celebrate the diverse pathways people take into teaching careers?" he wrote in The Australia.

"Would a push towards postgraduate teaching courses be the best way to ensure all new teachers have a strong academic grounding?"

The Australian Education Union is concerned about the dropping average ATAR scores.

It said ideally entry scores would be higher, most teacher training would be done through two-year postgraduate qualifications and students needed to have more classroom experience before graduating.

Education Minister Christopher Pyne expects to get suggestions for improving teacher training from a special advisory group soon.

WHO IS LEARNING TO BE A TEACHER?

(all data from 2012)

* 30,457 students started a teacher education program

* majority females aged under 24

* 86 per cent admitted based on prior academic achievement

* 20 gained entry based on their ATAR

* of those with an ATAR, 56 per cent were 61-80

* eight per cent scored 91-100

* 13 per cent scored below 60