Accredited Initial Teacher Education (ITE) Programs are required to offer Professional Experiences (PEx) for preservice teachers. All ITE Programs have requirements which they were accredited against the National Program Standards, by a Sub-Committee of the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia.

National PEx guidelines will be released in late 2024.

Contact the relevant ITE Provider (University / College) with all enquiries, as they will make these decisions based on the ITE Programs they are accredited for.

The Board’s role: SAT holders and PEx

• A Special Authorisation for an Unregistered Person to Teach (SAT) is issued under section 30 of the Teachers Registration and Standards Act, 2004. It is an emergency measure, restricted to "hard to fill" school sites only. Preservice teachers must teach at 'the authorised school site'.
• These current arrangements apply as an urgent limited request in response to a teacher shortage in 'hard to place' schools. SAT holders are not authorised to set aside graduation requirements and indeed, a Special Authorisation can never achieve that.
• PEx placements are guided by the Board-adopted Standards and Procedures under which SA ITE courses are accredited and operate separately to the issued SAT. Much work is occurring to ensure national consistency in how such placements occur and are moderated. As further work occurs in this area, it is intended to work with ITE providers to facilitate best outcomes for the South Australian experience and to achieve quality assurance for all teachers, regardless of location.
• Separately, PEx placements should ordinarily not be in the school setting in which SAT holders are employed. In the rare event this occurs, they should be teaching in areas of their enrolled program and specialisation.
• The requirement to undertake their placement free of employment pressures is paramount, and in a nationally understood practical experience, does not usually permit for them to be paid during this period of placement.
• Separately, regardless of graduation requirements, SAT holder's supervisory arrangements must be in place at the site where employed and must provide the level of professional support as to teaching pedagogies, strategies, and student welfare.

It is not our usual practice to provide approval for SAT holders to complete their PEx placements or grant individual preservice teacher "exemption" from matters impacting final teaching performance assessment requirements. These are matters between ITE providers and schools/employers, albeit operating in a context of understood principles. The Board requires all employers and ITE providers to work together to support preservice teachers and to fulfill accreditation obligations.

Accredited ITE (Initial Teacher Education) Program providers are welcome to contact the Professional Standards Team (professional.standards@trb.sa.edu.au) to discuss the plans which they have made with employer groups and employers