Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli last week announced NSW school leavers entering teaching degrees in 2016 will need to achieve three band five HSC results, including a band five in English.

Acting deputy president of the NSW Teachers Federation, Denis Fitzgerald said the Federation "fully supports revised and strengthened standards."

"It's important for teachers to be of a high standard- now parents can have confidence in high teacher's standards," he said.

Mr Fitzgerald admits the number of teaching students may decrease, but insists the standard of the profession must be increased.

The three band fives will ensure aspiring teaching students have scored within the top 25 percent of a number of areas, including English, the acting deputy president said.

"Not only will they be strong students, but good across the curriculum," Mr Fitzgerald said.

The stricter requirements have been the positive result of a long period of planning, but Mr Fitzgerald said more improvements must be made.

"The NSW Teachers Federation supports the government whole-heartedly, but there are other issues to cover," he said.

"We have no problems getting teachers to rural NSW, but we lose them.

"The profession needs to be attractive for people to join and stay in.

"Teachers deserve professional respect, improved salary and work conditions.

"That way they will choose to move to rural NSW and stay there."