From the New Zealand Teachers Council

Working as a teacher in New Zealand – Teachers Council Registration Policy

Over the last few years, the Teachers Council has collated all its current policies and requirements relating to how teachers become and remain registered into an overarching Registration Policy.  This work has built on a process of consultation carried out in 2009 and the launch of the Registered Teacher Criteria and Guidelines for Induction and Mentoring and Mentor Teachers in 2010 and 2011.

Most requirements will remain the same, with clarification provided around what each of the categories of registration signal and how the Council will interpret the legislative requirements for granting registration and issuing practising certificates.  The Registration Policy also places the Registered Teacher Criteria as the central requirement for becoming and remaining fully registered.

From the consultation process in 2009, the Council received a clear message from the sector that:

• provisionally registered teachers should not be able to remain provisionally registered indefinitely
• the definition of a teaching position should be clarified for registration purposes, and
• the definition of satisfactory recent teaching service for maintaining full registration should be reviewed.  

From 2012 - the Council will be introducing policy limiting the length of time that a practising certificate can be issued with provisional registration to six years.  In order to continue reapplying for provisional registration after six years, teachers will need to undertake a refresher programme to ensure their professional knowledge and practice is up to date.

The definition of a teaching position has been reviewed to better acknowledge the diverse range of roles and responsibilities that teachers now undertake.  The definition of satisfactory recent teaching service has been clarified and expanded – now allowing one year of teaching service completed within the last three years to be considered for the purpose of maintaining full registration. 

From 2015 - teachers who have not previously applied for registration, and whose initial teacher education qualification was awarded more than six years previously, will also be required to complete a refresher programme before being granted registration for the first time. 

The Council will be working with providers to develop appropriate refresher programmes to meet the needs of a diverse range of teachers from 2012 and will consult with the sector on what these programmes should include.

The policy also allows for possible future change to categories of practising certificates, to cater for the diverse range of teaching roles and settings teachers may wish to be employed in.

For more information, visit NZTC’s website http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/.