Requirement for teachers to be four-year trained
The Victorian Institute of Teaching requires teachers seeking provisional registration or full registration as a teacher in Victoria to be four-year qualified. This policy has the greatest impact on primary-trained teachers who have completed three-year initial teacher education programs, such as a Diploma of Teaching (Primary) or a Bachelor of Teaching (Primary), and who have not yet completed an approved fourth year of study. Three-year qualified secondary teachers may also be affected.
For three-year qualified primary teachers there are five basic pathways which can lead them to be conferred with four-year qualified status in Victoria:
- completion of a fourth year Bachelor of Education program at a recognised Australian higher education institution
- completion of two Graduate Certificate programs at one or more recognised Australian higher education institution
- completion of a Graduate Diploma program at a recognised Australian higher education institution
- completion of one year of tertiary study towards a single award, such as a degree, diploma or Associate Diploma program at a recognised Australian higher education institution
- completion of one year of study towards a single award, such as an Advanced Diploma, Associate Diploma or Diploma at a recognised Australian TAFE institution.
NOTES:
- A minimum of one year of full-time or equivalent part-time study must be successfully completed.
- Where the study includes exemptions based upon studies completed in another program, applicants should check with the Victorian Institute of Teaching to ensure that the exemptions are acceptable.
- When choosing a program of study there may be other considerations that could be relevant, such as:
- meeting a specific subject area requirement, e.g. Library, Language Other Than English (LOTE), Music, Physical Education, Science etc. Refer to the Institute's Specialist Area Guidelines (PDF - 73 KB)
- meeting requirements for employment in another area of teaching such as a new specialist area, special education or secondary teaching
- the applicability of programs to a wider vocational field outside of teaching.
Further information on endorsed teacher education programs can be found by clicking here.
Teachers who require further information regarding the status of their current qualifications or proposed program of study may contact the Victorian Institute of Teaching, Level 24, Marland House, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne 3000 Telephone 03 8601 5800 or 1300 888 067.