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Initial teacher education reforms

Reforms to improve the quality of initial teacher education, support and development for teachers early in their careers, and increase the status of the teaching profession.

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Excellence in teacher education reforms

The Excellence in Teacher Education reforms are a set of eight actions to:

Together, these actions aim to:

The actions build on the national agenda for initial teacher education reform implemented by the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL). They leverage best practices already used in Victoria.

To build the reforms, we consulted with teachers, principals, universities, TAFEs, parents and student representatives, as well as other educational experts.

Reform actions

The eight reform actions are across four key areas of reform:

Area 1: Raise the quality of teaching and the status of the profession through a robust approach to selection into initial teacher education

Area 2: Ensure high-quality pathways into the teaching profession for capable and committed candidates from diverse backgrounds

Area 3: Improve course quality through partnerships, and feedback loops between graduates, schools and ITE providers

Area 4: Develop early career teachers to become excellent teachers and leaders

Framework for ITE course entrant selection

The Victorian Selection Framework introduced a minimum Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) for Year 12 students entering undergraduate teaching programs.

The minimum rank was 65 in 2018 and increased to 70 in 2019.

The framework also raises the quality of teaching by introducing a more sophisticated way to select entrants for ITE. Education providers now include specific personal attributes for entry, which are listed below.

The attributes are consistent with the attributes demonstrated by effective teachers identified by the AITSL.

Read more about selection of entrants into initial teacher education on the AITSL website.

The selection framework was designed collaboratively with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and is supported by Victorian initial teacher education providers.

Quality teaching and improved student outcomes can be achieved by the validation, reporting and verification of the following the 3 key attributes:

Victorian Selection Framework

A triangular diagram illustrating the Victorian Selection Framework. Full description in the image description link.

Quality pathways to teaching degrees

There are many pathways for gaining entry into undergraduate teaching degrees, including:

Diploma of Teacher Education Preparation

The Diploma of Teacher Education Preparation is an AQF 5 VET pathway to initial teacher education. The course is designed to provide opportunities for a diverse range of people to pursue a teaching career, such as those who did not complete Year 12, who either:

The diploma course supports students to develop language, literacy and numeracy skills and to meet entry requirements for a higher education ITE qualification. Any credit for prior study is determined by the ITE provider and applied in accordance with AQF policy.

Students undergo a structured practical experience in a school. They also develop knowledge of:

The diploma is currently delivered by RMIT University, Victoria University Polytechnic and Swinburne University. We sponsored its development by the Victorian Institute of Teaching, principals, teachers, higher education and TAFE providers.

Entry standards from alternate pathways

We are working with the Victorian Institute of Teaching and education providers to ensure that all candidates, whatever their pathway into a teaching course, meet the required entry standards.

Scholarships and support

Employment-based pathways

Employment-based pathways allow students to both work and study as they complete their teaching qualification. They support secondary schools – particularly those experiencing staffing difficulties and those in disadvantaged or rural/regional communities – to employ high quality candidates. Participating programs offer considerable support to intern-teachers and their host schools.

We support the following employment-based pathways:

Schools interested in any of these programs can contact the provider for more information.

Improving course quality: school-university partnerships

Placement Plus

The new Placements Plus programs are department-funded partnerships between ITE providers and clusters of Victorian government schools in target locations. The programs build and strengthen partnerships between ITE providers and participating schools to improve the quality of PST placements.

The Placements Plus initiative aims to build and strengthen partnerships between Victorian ITE providers and participating Victorian government host-schools to improve the quality of pre-service teacher (PST) placements.

This initiative builds on the previous Teaching Academies of Professional Practice (TAPPs) initiative and has been rebranded to reflect the revised objectives of the program and what it will deliver.

About Placement Plus

The Placements Plus programs will focus on delivering additional comprehensive and tailored wraparound placement supports for participating PSTs undertaking placements in target locations. The programs will also include supports for participating host schools such as professional learning for supervising and mentor teachers.

Pre-service teachers undertaking placements in similar models, including the previous TAPPs initiative, have reported greater levels of confidence and preparedness against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (graduate level).

Participating principals and supervising and mentor teachers participating in TAPPs have reported greater professional learning opportunities, with teachers identifying strengthened mentoring skills. The initiative has also enabled universities to gain insights and work collaboratively with schools to lead enhanced course delivery.

Placement Plus Programs

The Placements Plus programs will be delivered in Victorian government primary, specialist and secondary host-schools in rural and regional locations, as well host- schools in metropolitan growth corridors.

The Graduate Teacher Survey

The Graduate Teacher Survey seeks feedback from new provisionally registered teachers (PRTs), mentors of teacher graduates and principals to inform the delivery of high quality initial teacher education programs. The survey has to date been conducted twice (2017 and 2019) and findings have been shared with ITE providers and school leaders in government, Catholic and independent schools.

Findings from the 2019 survey include:

For more information about the Graduate Teacher Survey, email: ite@education.vic.gov.au.

Graduate teacher induction and career mentoring

To support teachers in government schools at the beginning of their careers, we have strengthened teacher induction and mentoring.

Successfully inducting graduate teachers into the profession will lift the quality of their teaching and their commitment to improving student outcomes.

We supports graduate teachers joining the profession through a number of initiatives, including:

Education & training

Updated 26 March 2026

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