NESA is ending its leniency period for teacher accreditation, while in the ACT the Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) is offering free registration.
NESA timeframes
NESA is following up on provisionally accredited teachers who have failed to attain their proficient teacher status within the required timeframe. The leniency offered since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived is over.
What this means for you:
- Teachers who do not complete their proficient teacher obligations within the mandatory timeframe will have their accreditation ceased (if provisional) or suspended (if proficient but failed to maintain). This may have ramifications for your employment.
- NESA will work with teachers on a case-by-case basis to ensure everyone has a chance to get through the process.
Provisionally accredited teachers have the following timeframes to complete the process:
- three years employed full time
- five years if employed part time.
Proficient accredited teachers (maintenance period) have:
- five years if employed full time
- seven years if employed part time.
The IEU has an Accreditation at Proficient Handbook and Workbook.
Free TQI registration for early childhood teachers
The ACT government is encouraging early childhood education and care (ECEC) teachers to register with the ACT Quality Institute (TQI) as it is now free.
The ACT government will waive the $115 annual registration fee for the first two years to encourage more registrations in the ECEC workforce.
The initiative is part of the government‘s Valuing Educators, Values Children workforce strategy for the ACT early childhood education and care profession (2023-25).
ACT Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development Yvette Berry said: “Qualified early childhood teachers are central to our free three-year-old preschool program that begins this year, which provides up to 300 hours of free preschool for three-year-old Canberra children at more than 140 ECEC services across the city.”
TQI CEO Lyndall Read said registration had not previously been available to teachers working in ECEC settings, but now it is, and TQI encouraged them to do so by waiving the registration fee.
“It is important to us that early childhood education teachers can be included in professional recognition for the quality teaching and development facilitated in the early years,” Read said.
“Early childhood registration will also bring opportunities for early childhood educators to engage and connect through facilitated networks, TQI support sessions and events and professional learning offerings.
“Registered early childhood teachers will be able to engage with Certification at Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher Level.”
The IEU played an instrumental role in lobbying for TQI registration for ECEC teachers.
Professional development
The IEU offers a suite of NESA and TQI accredited behaviour management and difficult conversation courses with highly regarded presenter Dave Vinegrad.
The courses are a fantastic resource for beginning teachers and a valuable refresher for more experienced members.
NESA and TQI accredited courses include:
- 30 July: Numeracy and Thinking Skills for 3-5 year olds (6pm-8pm) See flyer
- 5 August: Managing and responding to extreme behaviours (6pm–8pm)
- 26 August: Managing difficult conversations (6pm-8pm)
- 9 September: Behaviour management: Getting it right (6pm-8pm)
- 16 September: Behaviour management: Keeping it right (6pm-8pm)
- 21 October: Behaviour management: Making it right (6pm-8pm)
- 11 November: Behaviour management: Upholding the right (6pm-8pm)
- 25 November: Thriving and surviving for casual teachers (6pm-8pm)*
*TQI accredited only
Accredited PD is FREE for members, but registration is required. Visit our website to register: https://www.ieu.asn.au/events/
This update is part of the June 2024 edition of EXEC Extra enewsletter (formerly known as Teachers R Teachers). ECEC Extra is distributed to early childhood teachers, long day care centres and preschools three times per year. You can read past editions of ECEC Extra on our enews homepage or stay across all our updates for early childhood teachers on our ECEC page or via our Facebook community group for members only.
