Key changes to permission to teach from 1 January 2011

There are five fundamental changes to permission to teach under the Permission to Teach Policy 2011.  Changes to the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 and the Institute's Permission to Teach Policy operate from 1 January 2011.  For further details, read the full policy.

1.  Who is required to hold permission to teach:

Under the Permission to Teach Policy 2011, permission is required only when a person who is not a qualified and registered teacher will be undertaking the duties of a teacher in a school.  This applies every time a person will be employed to deliver an educational program which forms part of the required school curriculum.

Instrumental music instructors, sports coaches and other instructors involved in extra-curricular or co-curricular programs that are not part of the required school curriculum and are not considered to be undertaking the duties of a teacher may be employed by a school as an instructor without permission to teach.

 2.  In most cases, schools must first seek to employ a qualified and registered teacher for any vacancy:

Schools should seek to employ registered teachers for all teaching positions.  Where no qualified and suitable registered teacher is available, principals may seek to employ an unqualified person for a teaching position and endorse an application for permission to teach.  The endorsement of the application must include:

• evidence that the position has been advertised in the state-wide media (print or electronic) for a period of at least one week inclusive of a weekend
• a statement that no qualified and suitable registered teacher was available
• details of the teaching position and the period of permission to teach being sought, including the duties to be undertaken
• key selection criteria of the position and the period of permission sought;
• a statement of the applicant's skills and experience to teach
• a statement outlining the supervision and support to be provided to the applicant. 

Teaching positions exempted from this requirement:

An exemption from the requirement to provide evidence of advertising the position to registered teachers can be requested for the following:

• VET programs requiring industry trainers with recent and specific industry experience
• positions offered through recognised supply and demand initiatives - e.g. Career Change
• specialist access and equity programs requiring other professional expertise e.g. community service or youth work expertise, higher education expertise for university study programs
• teaching exchange programs
• short-term and replacement positions of 6 months or less; or
• casual relief teaching.

3   Grants of permission to teach will be for a maximum of three years:

Permission to teach may be granted for a period of up to but not exceeding three years.

4. Second or subsequent applications for permission to teach:

 A person may seek a second or subsequent period of permission to teach where they can demonstrate that they have the appropriate skills and experience to teach,  and a commitment to becoming a member of the teaching profession.  This includes providing evidence that they:

• have the appropriate subject knowledge for the subject(s) they will be required to teach
• demonstrate effective strategies for building positive relationships with students and effective communication with parents and caregivers
• demonstrate an ability to maintain safe and challenging learning environments and use a range of teaching practices and resources to engage students in effective learning
• have made appropriate progress toward attaining an approved teacher education qualification during a previous period of permission to teach or in the interim, unless exempted by the Institute.

Appropriate progress toward attaining an approved initial teacher education qualification will be determined by the Institute.  It may be demonstrated by evidence of education or training to be a teacher, participation in standards referenced professional development activities and professional engagement, and/or evidence of improvement in English language competence to be eligible for enrolment in an approved initial teacher education qualification.

5. English language competence requirements:

Applicants for permission to teach must satisfy the Institute that they are competent in speaking and communicating in the English language.

In exceptional circumstances, permission to teach for languages other than English (LOTE) only may be granted to an applicant with a lesser level of English language competence than the required standard for registration as a teacher.  If an applicant is seeking permission to teach under exceptional circumstances for English language, they must provide evidence of their English language competency in the form of one of the approved English language tests. The results of this last test must be less than 24 months old at the date of lodging their application.