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Schools can employ a PTT (COVID-19 pre-service teacher workforce shortage) holder to fill short-term vacancies due to
PTT is only granted to teach specific subjects or subject areas, and therefore cannot be used to undertake casual relief teaching.
Timetabling
Schools have discretion over their timetabling to best meet their learners' needs. Schools should seek to timetable their classes according to learners' needs and then seek a PTT (COVID-19) holder to fill any timetabling gaps.
For example, Teacher A is absent and cannot teach their VCE Maths class. Teacher B (year 9 Science) is timetabled to teach VCE Maths while teacher A is absent. The school employs a PTT (COVID-19) holder who has permission to teach Science 7-10 to teach year 9 Science for Teacher B.
Schools do not need to match a PTT (COVID-19) holder to the absent teacher’s class in order to utilise PTT (COVID-19), but must ensure the PTT (COVID-19) holder is only teaching the subjects listed on their card. PTT (COVID-19) cannot be used to undertake casual relief teaching.
Multiple staff absences
Where a school is experiencing multiple staff absences, a PTT (COVID-19) holder may be kept on beyond the original absence period to assist the school to respond flexibly to learning needs.
For example, schools may want to keep a PTT (COVID-19) holder teaching a specific class while a more experienced teacher works across the school to fill (COVID-19) related vacancies. This will assist the pre-service teacher to develop their pedagogy in a supportive environment.
PTT (COVID-19) may be available for your school, however other PTT categories might be more suitable to your needs.
You should contact us directly to discuss the requirements for PTT (COVID-19) in your school.
You can check the status of a pre-service teacher’s registration by searching their name in your employer portal or by searching the register of teachers.
PTT (COVID-19) holders are subject to suitability and criminal record checking as part of their application, and cannot commence teaching (even under supervision) until their application has been approved by VIT.
PTT (COVID-19) will be available for the 2023 school year only. The grant will expire upon to PTT holder’s successful completion of their final year of study or 31 December 2023, whichever comes first.
It is a non-renewable form of registration designed to fill short-term vacancies in Victorian schools due to teacher absences caused by COVID-19 illness or isolation requirements. PTT (COVID-19) cannot be used to undertake casual relief teaching.
Details can be found in VIT’s PTT (COVID-19 pre-service teacher workforce shortage) Policy.
Government schools can access the pool of PTT (COVID-19) holders through the Department of Education (DE) Recruitment Online portal (ROL). Government schools can also contact DE’s Support Your School initiative team to discuss recruitment of PTT (COVID-19) holders to address school needs on 1800 641 943 (follow directions to Recruitment Enquiries, then select option 1) or at sysi@education.vic.gov.au.
Catholic schools should contact the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) at permissiontoteach@macs.vic.edu.au.
Independent schools will need to identify their own candidates. Please contact VIT directly to discuss the use of PTT in your school setting.
Interested pre-service teachers in their final year of study at an accredited Victorian ITE program should set up a MyVIT account and then make an application for PTT (COVID-19).
You can read more about the application process here.
Once your application has been assessed and approved, you will need to register your interest in joining the pool of registered teachers for Victorian government and/or Catholic sector schools.
To join the Victorian government’s pool of registered teachers, follow the DE instructions to Apply for Support Your School initiative roles. All questions must be directed to the DE Schools Recruitment Unit at schools.recruitment@education.vic.gov.au or on 1800 641 943 (select option 2).
To join the Catholic education sector pool of registered teachers, register your interest via the Victorian Catholic schools webform. All questions must be directed to Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) at permissiontoteach@macs.vic.edu.au.
All enquiries regarding eligibility and employment in schools must be directed to DE Schools recruitment unit or MACS.
The VIT will support Independent Schools to lodge applications for final year pre-service teachers directly. Please contact us directly to determine eligibility.
Proving your teaching method areas
You will be required to provide an academic transcript from your initial teacher education provider that clearly identifies your method areas.
Proving your identity and suitability to teach
You will be required to provide evidence that proves your identity as well as give consent so VIT can undertake a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) on your behalf. We may carry out other criminal record checks from time to time.
Declaring physical and / or mental health conditions
You need to declare any condition(s) that may affect your ability to undertake the duties of a teacher.
Overseas criminal record check (CRC)
If you were over the age of 18 and lived continuously in any country other than Australia for 12 months within the last 10 years, you will need to provide a certified copy of a police certificate issued by the national police service in the country you lived in. Please refer to Australian Department of Home Affairs for accepted overseas CRCs.
Only those who hold VIT registration are eligible to be part of the pool of registered teachers.
Once registered with the VIT, you must liaise directly with the Department of Education (DE) or Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), at which time you will be provided with information regarding employment opportunities in government or Catholic sector schools.
To join the Victorian government’s pool of registered teachers, follow the DE instructions to Apply for Support Your School initiative roles
To join the Catholic education sector pool of registered teachers, register your interest via the Victorian Catholic schools webform
Those wishing to work in independent schools must contact the school campus directly.
Most applications take between 4-6 weeks to assess once all documentation has been submitted. In some cases, applications may be assessed more quickly.
The VIT recognises the urgency in creating a pool of registered teachers and will prioritise the assessment of PTT (COVID-19 pre-service teacher workforce shortage) applications.
The VIT is required to undertake a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) on your behalf. This can take time to be returned to VIT, at which time, your application will be assessed for your suitability to teach. Assessment of suitability to teach includes consideration of criminal history, professional history, impairments, reportable conduct, and Working with Children (WWC) exclusions and interim exclusions (previously known as negative and interim negative notice) from Working with Children Check Victoria (WWCCV).
If you are a final year student from an accredited Victorian ITE provider, please register your interest with DET Schools Recruitment Unit on 1800 641 943 (select option 1) or at schools.recruitment@education.vic.gov.au.
Standard application fees will apply (i.e. initial registration fee and Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) fees).
Holding PTT (COVID-19) does not guarantee a teaching position within a school.
Please note that application fees are non-refundable.
You will be granted PTT in line with the teaching methods you are studying in your ITE program. For pre-service teachers enrolled in a Primary ITE program you will able to teach Generalist Primary subjects.
PTT is only granted to teach specific subjects or subject areas, and therefore cannot be used to undertake casual relief teaching.
Proving your teaching method areas
You will be required to provide an academic transcript from your initial teacher education provider that clearly identifies your method areas.
This initiative is for pre-service teachers in their final year of study at an accredited Victorian initial teacher education (ITE) program only.
No. TAFE and university teachers are excluded from the initiative. Under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, only registered teachers or holders of permission to teach (PTT) are able to undertake the duties of a teacher in Victorian schools.
No. Education support staff are excluded from the initiative. Under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, only registered teachers or holders of permission to teach (PTT) are able to undertake the duties of a teacher in Victorian schools.
Early childhood teachers who hold dual registration can use their teacher registration to become part of the pool of registered teachers. Under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, only registered teachers or holders of permission to teach (PTT) are able to undertake the duties of a teacher in Victorian schools.
PTT (COVID-19 pre-service teacher workforce shortage) is available for individuals to teach in schools only. PTT cannot be granted in early childhood services.
It is a legislative requirement for anyone undertaking the duties of a teacher in a Victorian school or early childhood setting to be registered with VIT. This includes teaching under supervision.
In order to become registered as a teacher, a person must obtain a qualification that is appropriate for entry to teaching, or a qualification determined by VIT to be equivalent to an approved qualification.
If you can meet all the current requirements for teacher registration, you should apply for full registration or provisional registration.
If you cannot meet all the current requirements for teacher registration, you will be unable to apply for teacher registration.
Under the Support Your School initiative (SYSI), final year pre-service teachers can register under permission to teach (COVID-19 Pre-Service Teacher Workforce Shortage Relief). This is available for school teachers only wishing to work for the Melbourne Archdioceses Catholic Schools (MACS) or Government schools through their relevant websites; Independent schools need to identify their own candidates.
No. PTT cannot be granted to teach in an early childhood service. Permission to Teach (PTT) is an alternative authorisation to teach that exists primarily to address a workforce shortage within Victorian schools.
Because Permission to Teach is a temporary form of registration (specific to school and subject area) once your provisional registration has been approved, any PTT grants that you did have will be closed as you are now a suitable to be employed in any school.
No, any days taught while holding permission to teach cannot be used towards the 80 days of teaching required to move from provisional to full registration. Only days taught while holding provisional registration can be counted.
No, Permission to Teach (PTT) is a registration category specific for a role or to address a workplace shortage.
The employer must endorse the candidate and provide information about the specific position held by the candidate.
In the case of PTT (COVID-19), the specific role is to provide short term casual support to manage the impacts of COVID-19. The DE (Department of Education) and the MACS (Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools) act as the endorsers for each candidate.
PTT is not a renewable form of registration and is limited to a maximum of 3 years.