AN Australian-first academy for high-performing teachers is set to open in Victoria in 2022.
Acting Premier James Merlino on Tuesday announced $148.2 million from the upcoming state budget will go towards establishing the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership, a new statutory authority.
From January 2022, the authority will deliver advanced professional development for the best teachers across government, Catholic and independent schools from a purpose-built facility in Melbourne's CBD.
Seven regional academies, located in Bairnsdale, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Moe and Shepparton, will also be established by the end of 2022.
"Teaching is a noble profession. Teaching is a profession that changes lives, and we want to see the very best teachers, right here in Victoria," Mr Merlino told reporters.
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He said the academy is based upon similar professional development programs available for teachers in Singapore, which boasts one of the world's best education systems.
"So the Singapore model you have, for example, a master teacher in physics and that master teacher will then work with the best physics teachers in that system, making them even being better teachers in the classroom," Mr Merlino said.
"It's for the highest performing teachers to hone their skills in that elite environment."
The academy's flagship offering will be the Teaching Excellence Program, a one-year intensive course for up to 500 teachers, which will cover core curriculum areas including English, mathematics, science and the arts.
Other programs will focus on developing a pipeline of emerging leaders and aspiring principals.
The academy will build on the work of the existing Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership, the professional learning arm of the state's education department.
Legislation will soon be introduced to state parliament to establish the new authority. AAP
