Sydney
An English teacher at Mary MacKillop College in south-west Sydney, has taken out the title of Australia's Favourite Teacher after a national competition launched by the Prime Minister in October.
Mark O'Connor was nominated by HSC student Rebecca Knox for his dedication and commitment to helping his students achieve their best.
Mr O'Connor has also inspired Rebecca to become a teacher when she finishes school.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Minister for School Education Peter Garrett and Member for Fowler Chris Hayes today visited Mary MacKillop College in Wakeley to congratulate Mr O'Connor, and meet with students, staff and parents at the school.
The Prime Minister also took part in a Q&A session with students to discuss the importance of teaching, and the Government's National Plan for School Improvement.
The favourite teacher campaign was aimed at starting a national conversation about the importance of teachers and the inspirational role they play in students' lives.
Over six weeks around 20,000 people engaged in the campaign using social media, either by commenting, liking or sharing, and more than 130,000 people were reached on Facebook.
There were 125 entries from current students, to people who left school 40 years ago and still remember a special teacher. The Prime Minister also hosted an online Q&A on Facebook, and an i-Village live blogging session.
Rebecca lodged her entry on the Prime Minister's Facebook page, saying: “When I was struggling with my Extension 2 English major, he was always willing to meet and provide helpful feedback, encouragement and advice. He even took personal time out of a weekend to accompany our class to an English conference. Mr O'Connor is not only an amazing educator but also became a friend, and he is one of the reasons I was inspired to go into teaching.”
The Gillard Government is committed to supporting our teachers and attracting the best and brightest graduates into the teaching profession.
We have invested $550 million in the Teacher Quality National Partnership to provide extra training and professional development opportunities to teachers across the country.
We have also introduced the first ever National Professional Standards for teacher and principals.
But we know we need to do more to lift the quality of teaching. That's why our National Plan for School Improvement will include:
• Higher entry standards for the profession• A mentoring program and reduced workload for beginning teachers• Annual performance reviews to help teachers continuously improve their practice• Ongoing professional development and support for every teacher
Our plan will help ensure that teachers are supported at work and feel valued and respected for the vital role they play. That way more students will have the benefits of a highly trained and motivated teacher helping them reach their full potential, just like Mr O'Connor and Rebecca.