Teacher Registration in TasTAFE 1 BACKGROUND In its response to the Report of the Review of the Role and Function of Tasmania s Public Sector Vocational Education and Training Providers, the Tasmanian Government accepted a recommendation that: Subject to some minor amendments to the Teachers Registration Act to ensure VET coverage, teacher registration be extended across the whole of the new entity, TasTAFE (recommendation 23). Ms Simmons report details the reasons for her recommendation. The report is available on the Department of Education website: www.education.tas.gov.au. Look for Reform of Tasmania s Public VET System in the In Focus section of the website. This paper sets out the proposed amendments to the Act. 2 CURRENT SITUATION Currently teachers/trainers employed by the Tasmanian Skills Institute (TSI) are not required to be registered by the Teachers Registration Board. Teachers employed by the Tasmanian Polytechnic are required to be registered. There are currently two levels of teacher registration in VET applying to teachers in the Polytechnic: The qualification requirements for full registration, Specialist VET are: An approved teaching qualification (vocational education and training) plus a specified minimum industry or vocational qualification or, in some circumstances, a 4 year trade apprenticeship. The minimum number of years of study must total 4 years a minimum of 5 years will be required if the applicant has a 4 year trade apprenticeship but no other industry or vocational qualification. The qualification requirements for provisional registration Specialist VET are: Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) from the TAE10 Training and Education Training Package or its equivalent (as a minimum) plus Certificate III level industry qualifications (as a minimum).
3 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS The proposed changes to the Act are as follows: VET teacher registration VET teacher registration will be covered in a separate section of the Act to ensure the needs of VET are specifically catered for. As is currently the case, the Act will not include the specific requirements for VET registration as this is managed at Board level so that there is flexibility to meet changing needs. Registration for teachers in the schools sector will not be changed. It is proposed that the current requirements for provisional Specialist VET registration form the basis of the new requirements for full registration, that is: Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE40110) from the TAE10 Training and Education Training Package or its equivalent (as a minimum) plus an industry qualification (Certificate III as a minimum). By way of background, the current nomenclature for VET registration was constrained by the options available under the Teacher Registration Act which was designed for circumstances surrounding teacher registration in the school system. There are currently two levels of registration - provisional registration and full registration. With the extension of registration across the whole of TasTAFE and the opportunity to change the Act, it is now proposed that in future full registration will be granted when the teacher meets the qualification requirements of what is currently referred to as provisional. This will remove the current hierarchy of registration which has created a situation where, as at March 2012, only 64 teachers had Full Specialist VET Registration and 465 had Provisional Specialist VET Registration. The addition of a Bachelor of Education (Applied Learning) degree qualification will give a teacher dual registration, in both the schools and VET sectors. Proposed amendment to the Teacher Registration Act 2000 (the Act) will require teachers/trainers employed by TasTAFE to be registered from 1 January 2014. Registration is done on a calendar year basis and, therefore, Polytechnic teachers will have registered from 1 January to 31 December 2013. It is important that Polytechnic teachers do not let their registration lapse because they will be required to have registration for the full 2013 year. During 2013 the Teachers Registration Board will make sure that information is made available to Skills Institute and Polytechnic teachers via newsletters, visits to campuses and other sites as required. Advice will also be provided to individuals if they make contact with the Board to support those who would like assistance with this process. Teachers Registration Board In recognition of the increased scope of the Act, the composition of the Teachers Registration Board will be changed to ensure that the VET sector is appropriately represented. Two new positions will be added: o a person nominated by TasTAFE, and o a practising teacher appointed from nominations by practising teachers in TasTAFE. The Board also has the capacity to establish committees to assist it to perform its functions. The Board will establish a committee with appropriate expertise in the VET sector to ensure it supports the sector well, and supports TasTAFE to meet the needs of industry.
4 LIMITED AUTHORITY TO TEACH The criteria for Limited Authority to Teach will be reviewed to ensure they are fit-for-purpose for the VET sector. In broad terms, the category Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) is useful as an entry mechanism to teaching in VET. However, the criteria are designed for the school sector and are not entirely appropriate for VET. Work needs to occur to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose. This work will be undertaken prior to the 1 January 2014 commencement. In this context, it is important to note that LAT has been used as an entry mechanism for teachers to date with 162 LAT holders employed in the Polytechnic in 2011. As of July 2012, 42 of those LAT holders had upgraded their qualifications to Specialist VET Registration. The Teachers Registration Board also advises that: The National Skills Standards Council (8 December 2011) has determined that from 1 July 2013, trainers must hold the TAE40110 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment from the TAE10 Training and Assessment Training Package as a minimum qualification or be able to demonstrate equivalence of competencies. New trainers must comply with this requirement within two years of commencing employment. Trainers already employed must satisfy this requirement by 1 July 2013. This effectively means that TasTAFE LATs should be issued with a condition that LAT holders obtain the above qualification within two years. 5 PERMISSION TO TEACH The Permission to Teach provision will be reviewed to ensure it is fit for purpose for the VET sector. In broad terms, the category Permission to Teach (PTT) is a useful mechanism to employ sessional staff in VET. However, the criteria are designed for the school sector and are not entirely appropriate for VET. Work needs to occur to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose since sessional staff play a key role in providing industry current and/or specialist training. This work will be undertaken prior to the 1 January 2014 commencement. 6 REGULATIONS The Teachers Registration Regulations set out the fees for the various registration processes. The Regulations may also need to be amended to specify the separate VET category in the fee structure. This will be determined in the development of the legislation.
7 PRINCIPLES The principles underpinning the policy in relation to registration across TasTAFE are: (a) There will be no additional costs to TasTAFE as a result of extending teacher registration across the whole of TasTAFE other than costs incurred as a result of effectively implementing SNR/AQTF requirements. (b) There will be no additional costs to government as a result of extending teacher registration: o no link to remuneration or salary increments o no additional costs to meet qualification requirements. (c) The new VET teacher registration arrangements will be fit for purpose, as simple as practicable and specifically designed to meet the characteristics and needs of the sector. In particular, they will not inhibit TasTAFE s agility and timeliness in responding to the needs of industry. (d) Notwithstanding (c) above, the teacher registration requirements for schools and VET will be aligned as much as possible to facilitate the option to teach in both sectors. This includes fit and proper person requirements under Division 4 of the Teachers Registration Act. (e) In an environment where teacher registration operates on a full cost recovery basis with costs incorporated into registration fees, every effort will continue to be made to contain the costs of registration for teachers. (f) The level of industry experience that can be required in VET fluctuates with cyclical demand in the economy, and therefore judgments about the currency of industry skills and trainer/assessor competence under c) and d) of SNR 4.4/SNR 15.4 remains with the employer as part of its prerogative to determine the programs to be taught and may vary from time to time. 1 A copy of SNR 4.4 and SNR 15.4 is at Attachment A. 1 SNRs are the standards for RTOs under the National VET Regulator Act. Details of SNRs can be found at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/details/f2011l01356.
ATTACHMENT A Standards for NVR Registered Training Organisations 2011 4.4 The applicant [RTO] has a defined strategy, procedures and measures to ensure training and assessment services are conducted by trainers and assessors who: (a) have the necessary training and assessment competencies as determined by the National Quality Council or its successors; (b) have the relevant vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered or assessed; (c) can demonstrate current industry skills directly relevant to the training/assessment being undertaken; and (d) continue to develop their vocational education and training (VET) knowledge and skills as well as their industry currency and trainer/assessor competence. 15.4 Training and assessment is delivered by trainers and assessors who: (a) have the necessary training and assessment competencies as determined by the National Quality Council or its successors; and (b) have the relevant vocational competencies at least to the level being delivered or assessed; and (c) can demonstrate current industry skills directly relevant to the training/assessment being undertaken; and (d) continue to develop their vocational education and training (VET) knowledge and skills as well as their industry currency and trainer/assessor competence.