ECT Employer BriefingAugust/September 2015

Early childhood teacher registration

Recognises early childhood teachers as professionals.

Provides public protection and protects the integrity of teaching professionals in the early childhood sector.

Benefits for employers

Assurance that early childhood teachers are:

•Qualified.

•Have satisfactory criminal record checks – national CRC and ongoing Victorian checks.

•Current in their professional knowledge and practice.

PROGRAM1. Institute functions

2. Registration of early childhood teachers

3. Regulatory requirements for registered teachers

4. Institute disciplinary processes

5. Roles of the Institute and the Department

The Institute

• Regulates the Victorian teaching profession in the public interest.

• Independent government statutory authority.

• Reports to the Minister for Education.

• Self-funding.

Governance structure

Council of the Institute of Teaching•12 members with relevant skills, experience and qualifications: 11 appointed by the Governor in Councilofrom which the Minister nominates a Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson

A nominee of the Secretary of the Department

•Majority are registered teachers and the Chairperson is a registered teacher.

What the Institute does

Regulates the profession by:•Registering Victorian teachers (early childhood teachers from 30 September).

•Establishing and maintaining standards of professional practice.

•Developing codes of ethics and conduct.

•Investigating the conduct, competence and fitness to teach of registered teachers.

•Approving initial teacher education programs (not early childhood teacher programs).

What the Institute isn’t

• An employer of teachers or employer authority.

• An assessor/accreditor of early childhood education and care services.

• A member organisation.

• A professional development provider or industrial organisation for teachers.

REGISTERING EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

Who is eligible for registration?

Any person: •With an early childhood teaching qualification approved or recognised by ACECQA.

•Who is suitable to teach – satisfactory CRC, physically and mentally able to teach.

•Who pays the required fees.

Early Childhood Teacher Qualifications

A qualification must be approved or recognised by the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA).

The Institute does not assess early childhood teacher qualifications.

ACECQA qualification checker:

http://www.acecqa.gov.au/educators-and-providers1/qualifications

Who must be registered?

From 30 September:all qualified early childhood teachers who work in the role of an early childhood teacher in a Victorian education and care service or children’s service or early learning centre in a school.

An educator or staff member in a position that does not require them to be a qualified early childhood teacher is not required to be registered.

Who can be employed as an ECT?

• Registered early childhood teachers.

• A person holding a temporary approval granted by the Secretary of the Department of Education and Training.

• A person taken to be an early childhood teacher under regulation 242 of the National regulations.

• A primary teacher replacing a registered early childhood teacher for a period not exceeding 12 weeks under regulation 135 of the National regulations.

Early childhood teachers who are working in a service must be registered by 30 September 2015.

(However, the Institute will not act on matters of unregistered practice before 31 March 2016).

Employment obligations

Employers

Should not engage or employ an unregistered person in the role of an early childhood teacher unless otherwise allowed.

EmployeesIt is an offence for a person to hold themselves out to be a registered early childhood teacher if they are not.

Checking teacher registration1. Search the register of teachers www.vit.vic.edu.auIdentifies early childhood teacher registration

Checking teacher registration2. Sight the current registration card

Front of card Back of card – shows year

Registration categories

Provisionally registered early childhood teacherMeets all requirements for registration but has not yet met the proficient teacher standards.

Registered early childhood teacher Has met the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers at the proficient level.

Non-practising

Non-practising early childhood teacher registration An option for early childhood teachers unable to maintain professional practice when required to renew of registration.

Won’t apply until 30 September 2016.

Cannot be employed or engaged in the role of an early childhood teacher.

Two registrationsA teacher can hold more than one registration

Registered early childhood teacher

+

Provisionally registered teacher

or

Registered teacher

or

Non-practising teacher

Working with Children Check

A registered early childhood teacher holds a current National Police History Check (NPHC).

Continuous Victoria Police criminal record checking is also conducted on registered teachers.

An NPHC waives the requirements for an early childhood teacher to also have a Working with Children Check.

REGULATORY REQUIREMENTSFOR REGISTERED EARLY CHILDHOOD TEACHERS

The regulatory cycle

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers apply to all registration requirements.

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

APST

Know students and how they learn

Plan for and implement effective

teaching and learning

Create and maintain supportive and safe

learning environments

Assess, provide feedback and report on student learning

Transitional arrangements

What are they?

Legislative provisions to bring the current early childhood teacher workforce onto the Institute register efficiently.

Results in early childhood teacher registration without a period of provisional registration.

Who’s eligible?Qualified early childhood teachers employed or engaged in the role of an early childhood teacher for at least one day in the previous 2 years (1 Oct 2013 – 30 Sept 2015).

Transitional registration - evidence

Required evidence:•Statement of service from an EC service or other workplaceor•Letter of engagement on letterhead or•Other evidence (not a statutory declaration).

Renewal of Registration

Annual requirements to:1. Maintain suitability to be a teacher• Current and satisfactory National Police History Check

(updated within a 5 year period).

• Declarations about continuing suitability (physically and mentally able to teach).

2. Maintain professional practice

• 20 days teaching, equivalent practice or educational leadership.

• 20 hours professional development activities referenced to the proficient teacher standards.

Renewal of Registration

Early childhood teachers registered under transitional arrangements:

Meet the renewal of registration requirements after 12 months by 30 September 2016.

Will be provided with information about renewal after registration on 30 September 2015.

Provisional Registration

Graduate early childhood teachers:

For teachers new to the profession or new to registration.

2 years registration to apply theory in practice and meet the proficient teacher standards.

Applying for early childhood teacher registration when they have:•Completed at least 80 days teaching as a registered teacher.•Documented evidence of professional practice at the proficient teacher level.•A workplace recommendation report.

Provisional Registration

Supported entry to the profession

•Workplace–sited evidence based process

•Inquiry focus considering effectiveness of practice to improve student learning

•Experienced teachers act as mentors

•2 day mentor training program

•Beginning teacher seminars

•Web-based and hard copy resources

•Drives induction across the profession

Provisional Registration

Benefits of the process Full registration process – 2013 evaluation

• 97.5% of PRTs reported that the process improved their professional knowledge and skills.

• 94.8% of PRTs reported that the full registration process had given them opportunities to develop, discuss, reflect on and share their professional knowledge and practice.

• 77.7% of PRTs reported that the process increased the likelihood that they will stay in the teaching profession.

• Mentors also reported professional benefits

Assessment of proficiency

A workplace panel:To assess teacher evidence of professional practice.

To ensure evidence demonstrates competence in the 7 professional standards by referencing the 37 descriptors of proficient practice.

Provide a recommendation of early childhood teacher registration for the PRT to provide to the Institute.

Details of the panel composition and roles of panel members are under consideration.

Checking registration requirementsThe Institute ensures compliance with registration requirements by:

•Auditing evidence of provisionally registered early childhood teachers applying for early childhood teacher registration.

•Auditing professional practice of teachers applying for renewal of registration.

•Comprehensive communication with teachers and, where possible, employers.

The aim is to develop teachers as self-managing registrants who take responsibility for their professional registration.

PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT

ECT suitability

Suitability to be a teacher:

Fitness to teach

•A current and satisfactory National Police History Check

•Continuous checking through Victoria police

Suitability to teach

•Mentally and physically able to teach

Professional Conduct

The Codes of Ethics and Conduct

Code of Ethics based on the values of :• Integrity• Respect &• Responsibility

Code of Conduct assists teachers to understand the professional behaviour expected of them in relation to:

• Their relationship with students, parents/carers and colleagues.

• Their personal conduct.• Their professional competence.

Professional Conduct

Non-discretionary offences: In relation to sexual offences defined in the Act:

•When charged with the offence, a teacher’s registration is suspended.

•If convicted, their registration is cancelled.

•The teacher has no right of appeal.

The Institute to be notified by an employer if a teacher is charged with, committed for trial, convicted or found guilty of a sexual offence.

Professional Conduct

Registered teachers can be investigated in relation to:•Misconduct

•Serious misconduct

•Fitness and suitability to be a teacher

•Serious incompetence

The Institute to be notified by an employer if a teacher is investigated in relation to their conduct, competence, suitability to be a teacher or fitness to teach where action is taken as a result, even if the teacher has left employment.

Institute investigation

Complaints or notifications of concerns about a teacher's conduct or practice may result in an investigation.

After investigation the Institute may:

•Take no further action against the teacher.

•Enter into an agreement with the teacher.

•Refer the concerns to: oan informal hearingoa formal hearingoa medical panel hearing.

•Undertake a criminal prosecution for a criminal offence.

If the employer is known, the Institute will also notify the employer of the outcome of an investigation.

Findings and determinationsDepending upon the seriousness of the finding, an outcome from Institute disciplinary action can range from a:

•Caution.

•Reprimand.

•Condition on registration.to •Suspension of registration.

•Cancellation of registration.

•Disqualification from applying for registration for a period of time if registration is cancelled.

The Institute and the Department

The InstituteRegulates the teaching profession.

Interacts primarily with registered teachers.

The Department of Education & TrainingRegulates and assesses education and care services for young children.

Implement Victorian Government policy on early childhood services.

Mandatory reporting

Early childhood teachers will be mandatory reporters

The Department is developing:Protecting Children - Mandatory Reporting and Other Obligations for the Early Childhood Sector eLearning ModuleIt covers:•Roles & responsibilities for protecting children.•Advice on how to identify, respond to & report concerns.•Information about the offences of grooming, failure to disclose and failure to protect.

More information will be available shortly.

Further information

Institute website

www.vit.vic.edu.au