Adding an additional aptitude test would also lower teaching...

Adding an additional aptitude test would also lower teaching student numbers, only at an extra expense. So I still don't get the purpose of the policy.

My old chemistry teacher in high school (yes, I'm going back a while now) would talk about the fact that in his day, some of the brightest and best would go to uni to study teaching because it was a very good job, with very good salaries and very good conditions.

That is no longer the case - it wasn't even the case back when I was a student. None of the top cohort were interested in pursuing a teaching career.

The fact is with current salaries and conditions, you are not going to attract high aptitude students, because if they are high aptitude, they will choose a career with better conditions and salaries.

You aren't going to attract better teachers without fixing that aspect - and fixing that aspect is going to be expensive.