Framework for Teacher Registration in Australia

Introduction

Australian teachers are members of a registered profession. Registration is a public description of the unique academic, personal and ethical benchmarks that individuals must meet to qualify and continue to practise as teachers.

Teacher registration is managed and administered by jurisdictional teacher regulatory authorities. Each teacher regulatory authority operates within the Framework for Teacher Registration in Australia (the Framework). The Framework is arranged under eight key principles that describe the benchmarks for entry and continuing membership of the teaching profession across Australia.

Teachers play a central role in keeping children safe in education settings. Registration requires teachers to meet suitability requirements at entry to the profession and throughout their career. Meeting suitability requirements provides assurance to the community, parents/carers and teachers that child safety is a paramount consideration in the registration of teachers.

A key pillar of teacher registration is the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Teacher Standards). The Teacher Standards make explicit the skills, knowledge and practice required to be an effective teacher.

The application of the Teacher Standards underpins decisions about:

• the content and level of qualifications required for entry into the profession
• the process to become a fully registered member of the profession and
• teachers’ ongoing proficiency and continued registration.

This Framework has guided the direction of Australian teacher regulatory authorities since 2011 and outlines a nationally consistent approach to the registration of teachers across the states and territories.

Elements of nationally consistent registration

Teacher registration is granted and managed by teacher regulatory authorities in each Australian state and territory.

This Framework sets out uniform principles for the registration¹ of teachers in education settings² across Australia. It outlines a nationally consistent approach to the registration of teachers, where applicable, across the states and territories.

The Framework is used by teacher regulatory authorities to drive consistent and sound regulatory outcomes, in the best interests of children and young people in education settings.

This Framework also embeds a consistent approach to child safety, ensuring that only suitable people can become and remain registered as teachers.

Key principles underpinning the Framework

1. Qualifications

There is a minimum qualification, including a teacher education qualification, for registration.

2. English language proficiency

Registration requires achievement of a level of professional proficiency in English suitable for a teacher working in Australian education settings.

3. Suitability

Registration requires applicants to be suitable to work with children and young people and be a teacher, based on an assessment of their fitness, character, conduct and criminal history. Registered teachers must continue to meet suitability requirements to maintain their registration.

4. Mutual recognition

A person holding a specified registration, in the profession of teaching or for an activity covered by that occupation, is entitled to hold registration in a second jurisdiction for an equivalent activity, subject to the requirements of mutual recognition legislation.

5. Alternative authorisation to teach

There is provision, in clearly defined circumstances and under specified conditions, for persons who are not eligible for provisional or full teacher registration to be entitled to teach.

6. Initial and full registration

A teacher has an initial period of registration before meeting the requirements for full registration. The initial period allows them to be employed as a teacher and undertake workplace learning and development that equips them to meet requirements for becoming fully registered.

7. Renewal of registration

Fully registered teachers are required to renew their registration by demonstrating ongoing proficiency against the Teacher Standards, recency of practice, continued professional learning, ongoing suitability to teach and any other requirements set by teacher regulatory authorities.

8. Sanctions or withdrawal of teacher registration

A teacher regulatory authority can impose sanctions or withdraw a teacher’s registration if they fail to meet the required standards of personal and professional behaviour or professional performance.

Teachers who have engaged in conduct that poses an unacceptable risk to child safety and wellbeing will have conditions or exclusions from registration imposed, commensurate with the risk posed.

1. Qualifications

There is a minimum qualification, including a teacher education qualification, for registration.

• at least four years of higher education (full-time or equivalent) study, including an initial teacher education program accredited in Australia, using the Accreditation of initial teacher education programs in Australia: Standards and Procedures, or
• a teacher education qualification approved by Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA); and/or
• an overseas or historic qualification assessed as equivalent.

2. English language proficiency

Registration requires achievement of a level of professional proficiency in English suitable for a teacher working in Australian education settings.

• an IELTS³ (Academic) assessment across all four skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing – with no score below 7 in any of the four skill areas and a score of no less than 8 in speaking and listening, or
• an ISLPR⁴ assessment with a score of level 4 in all four areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing, such assessments to be deemed valid only if provided by approved testing sites where the assessment is teacher focused, or
• any other nationally agreed English Language Test (ELT).

3. Suitability

Registration requires applicants to be suitable to work with children and young people and be a teacher, based on an assessment of their character, conduct and criminal history. Registered teachers must continue to meet suitability requirements to maintain their registration.

3.1 Suitability to teach

In determining a person’s ongoing suitability to teach, matters under consideration include:

• the person’s history of compliance with their teacher registration requirements

• any previous decision to refuse to grant, refuse to renew, suspend or cancel a registration or other authorisation to teach (however described)

• the person’s point-in-time criminal history

• any behaviour that departs from the standard of behaviour reasonably expected of a registered teacher or shows the person is not of good character

• whether the person has contravened an order made by a teacher regulatory authority or a disciplinary body (however described)

• whether the person has failed to pay any costs, expenses or fines under a law that deals with the registration of teachers

• whether the individual has a medical condition or impairment that may manifest in conduct or behaviours that may pose a risk to children

• relevant information from other teacher regulatory authorities, ACECQA, registration bodies and/or overseas employers

• any other matters relating to the person that a teacher regulatory authority considers appropriate.

3.2 Criminal records checks

4. Mutual recognition

A person holding a specified registration, in the profession of teaching or for an activity covered by that occupation, is entitled to hold registration in a second jurisdiction for an equivalent activity, subject to the requirements of mutual recognition legislation.

5. Alternative authorisation to teach

There is provision, in clearly defined circumstances and under specified conditions, for persons who are not eligible for provisional or full teacher registration to be entitled to teach.

6. Initial and full registration

A teacher has an initial period of registration before meeting the requirements for full registration. The initial period allows them to be employed as a teacher and undertake workplace learning and development that equips them to meet requirements for becoming fully registered.

6.1. Transition to full registration

6.1.1 Support

6.1.2 Evidence

6.1.3 Assessment

6.1.4 Quality assurance

6.1.5 Reapplication

6.2. Returning teachers

7. Renewal of registration

Fully registered teachers are required to renew their registration by demonstrating ongoing proficiency against the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (the Teacher Standards), recency of practice, continued professional learning, ongoing suitability to teach and any other requirements set by teacher regulatory authorities.

7.1. Requirements for renewal of registration

• suitability to teach has been maintained (assessed on the basis of a current national criminal history records check)
• recency of professional practice requirements have been met on the basis of 100 days of professional practice in the previous five years, with capacity for flexibility in appropriate circumstances
• proficiency against the Teacher Standards has been maintained

• professional learning is demonstrated on the basis of at least 100 hours of professional learning activities referenced to the Teacher Standards, undertaken in the previous five years.

In addition, as part of the renewal process the teacher regulatory authority should consider:

• requesting release of information from all relevant bodies including teacher regulatory authorities, ACECQA, registration bodies and/or employers
• whether the teacher meets ongoing suitability requirements.

In jurisdictions where the registration period is less than five years the requirements for professional practice and professional learning may be reduced proportionately.

7.1.1 Evidence

The evidence for renewal provided by the teacher at a minimum must include a declaration by the teacher that the requirement for:

• suitability to teach has been maintained
• recency of professional practice requirements have been met
• proficiency against the Teacher Standards has been maintained
• professional development referenced to the Teacher Standards is demonstrated.

Registration decisions may be subject to audits by teacher regulatory authorities for quality assurance purposes.

8. Sanctions or withdrawal of teacher registration

A teacher regulatory authority can impose sanctions or withdraw a teacher’s registration if they fail to meet the required standards of personal and professional behaviour or professional performance.

Teachers who have engaged in conduct that poses an unacceptable risk to child safety and wellbeing will have conditions or exclusions from registration imposed, commensurate with the risk posed.

8.1. Sharing information about disciplinary action and withdrawal of teacher registration

¹ NSW uses the term accreditation rather than registration

² ‘Education setting’ is used inclusively to refer to Australian primary and secondary schools, early childhood settings and other educational settings where teacher registration applies.

³ IELTS - International English Language Testing System

⁴ ISLPR - International Second Language Proficiency Ratings