Out-of-field teaching doesn’t happen in a vacuum - and Professor Jillian Blackmore makes that crystal clear in this far-reaching, provocative conversation. A Distinguished Professor of Education at Deakin University and a long-time critic of education reform, Jill unpacks the systemic and political shifts that have weakened public education, casualised the teacher workforce, and deepenedinequality in Australian schools.
From neoliberalism and human capital theory to the failures of school autonomy and flawed teacher recruitment practices, Jill explains why out-of-field teaching is just one symptom of a system under strain. We also explore her new research on how race, class, and gender shape access to the profession and why ‘best fit’ hiring may be a proxy for exclusion.
Whether you're a teacher, policymaker, or researcher, this episode will challenge your assumptions and prompt deeper questions about what must change to truly support all educators.
Links:
https://experts.deakin.edu.au/154-jill-blackmore
Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)
https://www.edresearch.edu.au
Professor Linda Hobbs et al. – Research on Hard-to-Staff Schools (Deakin)https://www.deakin.edu.au/education/research/research-groups/education-policy-and-practice/research-projects/attracting-and-retaining-teachers-in-hard-to-staff-schools
Education International – Status of Teachers Reports
https://www.ei-ie.org/en/detail/15557/status-of-teachers-2021-global-report
OECD – Teachers and School Leaders
https://www.oecd.org/education/school/teachers-school-leaders.htm