Amended Regulations – Early Childhood Teacher Registration

Carolyn Grantskalns, the Presiding Member of the Teachers Registration Board, was pleased to advise Board staff of the welcome news from the Malinauskas government to provide an additional $1.9 billion investment in early childhood education over 9 years. Ms Grantskalns noted changes to the Teachers Registration and Standards Regulations, 2021 will permit early childhood teachers who have completed a 3-year, Birth – 5 early childhood qualification to now be immediately registered with a condition on their teacher registration to teach in early childhood settings and lead in the provision of teacher-led, high-quality play-based education in preschools, kindergartens and long day care centres.  The Board looks forward to the positive impact the changes will have on teachers, schools, and the wider community.

Overview

Since 1976, early childhood teachers who have completed 4-year bachelor’s qualifications have been on the register of teachers.

In order to increase the workforce of early childhood teachers able to staff universal 3-year-old education (from 2026), the Government has recently approved an amendment to the Regulations that will permit early childhood teachers who have completed a 3-year, Birth – 5 early childhood qualification to register with a condition on their registration.

From 6 June 2024, the Teachers Registration and Standards Regulations, 2021 have been amended to now enable the registration of 3-year trained early childhood teachers.

The condition will limit 3-year early childhood trained teachers to teach in an early childhood setting. This will include pre-schools, kindergarten, early childhood learning centres and in delivering education programmes in out-of-school-hours care.

For more information, a fact sheet is available.