TO SIR, WITH LOVE: AUSTRALIAN PLAN HAS STUDENTS MARKING TEACHERS

In a reversal of roles many a student has dreamed of, school pupils will be able to issue their teachers with a report card of their own under a plan being considered in Australia.

Under the proposal, an assessment of a teacherีs classroom performance by students, parents, school principals and fellow teachers would be used to determine whether that teacher would receive a pay rise.

The idea is one of several performance-pay models being suggested by the federal government to improve teaching in state schools.

National Education Minister Julie Bishop has suggested that teachers could be assessed on the academic improvements of their students over the year.
Bishop rejected suggestions the student-review scheme would become a popularity contest.

าNo, not at all, this assessment is done the world over,ำ she said on Wednesday.

าPeer review is a common part of assessing any professionีs performance - teachers are professionals and they should be treated accordingly.ำ

State governments, who run the schools, have accused the federal government of interfering in a state issue, while teacher unions are bitterly opposed to the idea because they say it is impossible to compare the performance of teachers, as all students have different abilities.

The New South Wales Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations said the proposal would be unfair to those teachers who put in lots of effort but saw no academic improvement among their students.

าWeีd be much more comfortable with the proposal if they let us try it with federal government ministers to start with,ำ Sharon-Roni Briggs said.