This follows questions raised about "Becoming a Teacher in the 21st Century", a discussion paper the Ministry of Education is drafting for the Cabinet.
Analysis of more than 100 responses to the paper showed some submitters were concerned about teacher education quality, and several wanted more stringent entry criteria.
Education Minister Chris Carter yesterday disagreed with media reports that the proposal - to be presented to cabinet later this month - would call for teachers to be ‘‘forced'' into an extra year of on-the-job training.
This was ‘‘quite simply not correct'', he said in a statement.
New Zealand Principals' Federation president Paddy Ford, of Balclutha School, said he believed the calibre of applicants for school jobs was ‘‘excellent'' in Otago.
‘‘We already have some of the toughest standards for teachers in the developed world, and the fact people are not progressing . . . and a third are not meeting required standards . . . proves how rigorous they are.''
Mr Ford's school had recently advertised two teaching positions. Of 24 applications, 23 were from recent graduates and they were ‘‘very comfortable with the quality of the applicants'', he said.
Federation members were discussing "Becoming a Teacher in the 21st Century" with the ministry.
Otago Secondary Principals Association president Clive Rennie said that high levels of interaction between schools and institutes that trained teachers meant those graduating from the University of Otago's College of Education were now well-prepared.
Schools were engaged in dialogue with education providers and ran mentoring and professional development programmes for new teachers, he said.
‘‘Most issues [for recent graduates] centre around classroom management, but they are never going to be totally prepared. But in this region, I believe the Graduating Teacher Standards are being met to a high level.''
New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) president Lorraine Kerr said in a statement it was not reassuring to read recent media coverage in which Auckland school principals rated 73% of short-listed teaching applicants in November and December 2007 as very poor or poor.
The NZSTA suggested a robust nationally consistent selection process to gain entry into teacher training was needed.
Last month, a Parliamentary select committee inquiry recommended that teacher-training providers be required to guarantee graduates could manage students effectively. - with The New Zealand Herald
