Recruitment in Schools

Qualifications

The Secretary (or delegate) may require particular qualifications and, or training for a specific position or class of positions.

Principal class

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the principal class a person must:

• have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching and;
• be four year trained.

To be eligible for employment in the principal class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must also demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements (This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person).

In addition, and unless otherwise determined by the Secretary, to be eligible for appointment as a principal a person must either:

• be a substantive Principal of a registered school in Victoria; or
• have a statement of readiness following completion of the Victorian Aspiring Principal Assessment (VAPA).

Further information on the VAPA requirement can be found on the Victorian Aspiring Principal Assessment Overview webpage.

Teacher class

To be eligible for employment, transfer or promotion in the teacher class, a person must have provisional or full registration from the Victorian Institute of Teaching (the Institute).

In addition, to be eligible for employment in the teacher class, a person who graduated from a Victorian Initial Teacher Education program after 1 July 2016, must demonstrate that they have passed the literacy and numeracy test for initial teacher education (LANTITE) requirements (This condition is satisfied where the LANTITE requirement is part of the Victorian Initial Teacher Education program completed by the person).

Where a teacher is to be employed to teach across an integrated K-2 program, that teacher, in addition to the above registration requirements, must also be registered as an early childhood teacher.

Principals are to ensure that prospective employees provide evidence of registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching. The Institute has provided a Principals' Hotline on 1300 650 375 to assist principals with registration issues. If urgent consideration of a registration application is required, principals should contact the Institute to expedite processing. Please note however, that the Institute will need to have received a complete application including all required documents from the teacher before registration can be granted.

When assessing the level of competence that a teacher could be expected to display, principals should give consideration to appropriate specialist studies and relevant professional development and training courses that a teacher has undertaken. As a general guide for interpreting appropriate studies, it would be expected that a teacher has either completed sequential studies at tertiary level spanning 2 or 3 years or, alternatively, a course that is learning area or specialist specific (for example, a degree in history or postgraduate studies in special education). Academic studies should be combined with appropriate teaching methods and practicum in the teacher training course.

Primary teachers

Generally, primary teachers are expected to be able to teach in the discipline-based learning areas of English, Mathematics, Science, The Arts and Humanities (History, Geography, and Economics). Teachers are also expected to incorporate learning areas from the Physical, Personal and Social Learning and Interdisciplinary Learning Strands, for example, Information Communications Technology and Interpersonal Development.

Some primary teachers will be able to demonstrate that they have the appropriate knowledge and skills to teach in the other learning areas such as Languages.

It is preferable that English as an Additional Language (EAL) teachers have an EAL methodology and practicum as part of their teacher training or postgraduate studies.

Some secondary teachers have appropriate knowledge and skills to teach in primary schools, particularly at Years 5 and 6. However, in order to maintain staffing flexibility in primary schools and provide these teachers with a career path in primary schools, the principal should encourage secondary-trained teachers to undertake appropriate studies and, or professional development to broaden their expertise in the primary sector.

Such studies or professional learning should be directed at providing the teacher with:

• a knowledge and understanding of the cognitive development for children in the age range of 4 to 12 years
• an awareness of the issues associated with primary schools
• the skills to teach the wide range of discipline-based learning areas delivered by the generalist class teacher

Secondary teachers

Generally, secondary teachers will have completed 2 or 3 years of sequential study in a number of subject areas post-Year 12. Such in-depth studies, combined with teaching methodology and supervised practice teaching, should provide the knowledge and skills to teach the particular disciplines. A teacher who does not satisfy the qualification requirement of a particular subject tag may be selected for a position provided the principal is satisfied that the teacher can demonstrate experience in the subject area.

Some primary teachers may have appropriate skills and knowledge for teaching in a secondary school, particularly at Years 7 and 8. However, to maintain staffing flexibility in secondary schools and to provide these teachers with a career path in secondary schools, the principal should encourage primary trained teachers to undertake appropriate studies and, or professional development to broaden their expertise so that they may teach students in the more senior classes.

Such studies or professional learning should be directed at providing the teacher with:

• a knowledge and understanding of the cognitive development relating to adolescence
• an awareness of the issues associated with secondary schools
• the skills and depth of curriculum knowledge to teach discipline-based learning areas to a wider range of year levels

Special settings

In addition to the registration requirements set out above, principal and teacher class employees in special settings and visiting teachers are required to have completed an approved year of study in an appropriate special education discipline for ongoing employment in special settings or as a visiting teacher.

Where an ongoing teaching position in a special school or setting (or a visiting teacher position) is advertised:

• an ongoing teacher who does not hold an approved special education qualification may be offered permanent transfer to the school if the teacher has completed 3 or more years continuous employment in the teaching service in a special setting, and is assessed by the principal (in respect of positions in special settings) or regional director (in respect of visiting teacher positions) as suitable for ongoing employment in a special setting.
• an external applicant, including an existing fixed term employee, who does not hold an approved special education qualification, but who holds provisional or full registration with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, may be offered ongoing employment if the teacher has completed 3 or more years of continuous employment as a teacher in the teaching service in a special setting and is assessed by the principal (in respect of positions in special settings) or regional director (in respect of visiting teacher positions) as suitable for ongoing employment in a special setting.

Other than set out above, a teacher who does not have an approved special education qualification can only be offered:

• temporary transfer for a period not exceeding 3 years where the successful applicant is an ongoing employee, or
• fixed term employment for a period not exceeding 3 years where the successful applicant is not an ongoing employee

Teachers who do not have an approved special education qualification should continue to be encouraged to undertake and complete a further 1 year of study in an appropriate special education discipline.

Teachers of languages

All teachers employed to teach languages are, in addition to general teaching qualifications, are required to hold a 3 year post-Year 12 or 4 year beginners stream tertiary study in the language and an approved language teaching method, both the theory and practicum.

Secondary teachers who were employed in government schools before the beginning of the 1996 school year are considered qualified to teach a language if they had completed a post-Year 12 language sub major.

Some language teachers may hold a P–12 language teaching qualification enabling them to teach in either primary or secondary schools and P–12 colleges.

Education support class

The qualification requirements for education support class positions will depend on the nature of the position. Generally, education support class positions do not have mandatory qualification requirements but may require knowledge in specific functional areas depending on the nature of the role and responsibilities of the position. However, some professions (for example psychology, nursing, physiotherapy) are regulated and have mandatory registration and, or qualification requirements for employment in that profession.

The Secretary (or delegate) may require particular qualifications and/or training for a specific position or class of positions. To date, the Secretary has not mandated qualifications for education support class positions other than those required in the regulated professions and required by law.

Where a principal wishes to include a qualification requirement for an education support class position, this may be done but must be expressed as desirable unless the position falls into one of the regulated professions in which case the qualification requirement is mandatory.