When you send your child to school you expect their teacher to be fully qualified and the best person to teach your child and help them grow and develop.  So how would you feel if you found out your child’s teacher failed to get an ATAR over 35? Would you be shocked? Worried? Confused?

Last month, Labor announced they’ll look at potentially raising the ATAR for teaching degrees if they’re elected. This comes after an ABC report that found that “in NSW and the ACT during 2015, school leavers who scored in the bottom 50 per cent made up half of all teaching degree offers”.

Raising the ATAR is a measure aimed to increase the standard of teacher graduates, and therefore overall quality of learning in our schools. But is an ATAR the best measure of teaching ability? And how might such a policy be enforced?

 Labor Deputy Leader of the Opposition Tanya Plibersek joined Breakfast’s Tess Connery to break down the situation.