I don't necessarily have an issue with this so long as it applies to other students as well. (its not just the personality of future teachers we need to be concerned about!) It also needs to take into consideration the future growth and maturity of students. ( I wonder how a young version of me would have coped with this test? ) An 'army type' test is also a concern?
NSW teaching students will face personality assessments from next year, the NSW Board of Studies has confirmed.
The President of the NSW Council of Deans of Education, Chris Davison, said the assessments will draw from tests similar to those undertaken for the army and will weed out candidates unsuited to teaching before they begin their degrees.
"The challenge is to have one that works for teaching. You probably need a much higher degree of empathy than you do in the army," she said.
The Board of Studies' move to institute personality tests at all universities comes after a crackdown on teacher training by the NSW government in September.
Professor Davison said that the national program was necessary despite tough new regulations on literacy and numeracy imposed by the NSW government.
She said the personality assessments were being implemented because students with poor communication or behavioral issues were still undertaking teaching degrees.
"At one stage it emerged that someone in our own program at UNSW had major psychological problems," she said.
"They already had a degree in another field so had passed the academic requirements but they couldn't maintain eye contact, they couldn't maintain conversation. We found out they had recently been released from psychiatric ward and had problems interacting with people.
"Their counsellor suggested they take up a teaching degree. I counselled them to withdraw."
The Board of Studies' move to implement personality tests at all universities comes after a crackdown on teacher training by the NSW government in September.
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The photo below is from Elizabeth Warren's Twitter feed. She is leading a Democratic push to support students battling crippling student loans. Pity she isn't running for President. I wonder if she'll support Clinton or Sanders?
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