The mathematical background of primary teachers in the Illawarra Region, 1962-1981

Concern with the educational preparation of teachers in Australia is not a new phenomenon. The Western Australian Jackson Report of 1897 (1), the Victorian Director of Education's Report of 1902 (2) , and the New South Wales Knibbs-Turner Report of 1904 (3), all indicated that the prevailing pupil-teacher system of education was inadequate, and recommended that teachers be trained professionally in institutions provided specifically for that purpose. With the establishment of permanent teachers' colleges in all Australian States by 1915 (4), it became clear that certain educational standards were required from. any person preparing to teach in Government schools. The fact that these educational standards may alter over time does not vitiate the general concern with the quality of the preparation of teachers (5).