Glossary

A nationally trained accreditation panellist who participates on initial teacher education program reviews.

VIT offers two application pathways for full registration as a teacher or early childhood teacher on initial application for registration.

Pathway one – Immediate full registration

• You may be eligible for full registration as a teacher or early childhood teacher on initial application if you
  • hold an approved qualification
  • have taught in one or more Australian or New Zealand schools or early childhood services for at least 80 days while holding full registration within the five years prior to your application to VIT.

Pathway two – Mutual recognition

• If you’re currently registered interstate or in New Zealand, or accredited in New South Wales, and want to teach in Victoria, you need to register with us under the Mutual Recognition process via your MyVIT account.

A program or course of study

• offering to provide a pathway to entry into an initial teacher education program; and
• identified or marketed as offering a pathway specified in paragraph (a); and
• approved by the VIT under Division 2B of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 as a pathway program.

Holding Permission to Teach (PTT) means you have been offered short-term employment to undertake the duties of a teacher in delivering and/or assessing student participation in the school’s curriculum program. If you hold PTT, then you are NOT registered as a qualified teacher.
PTT is an alternative authorisation to teach and exists primarily to address a workforce shortage. Schools must prioritise the employment of qualified, registered teachers.

Schools that are unable to employ a qualified, registered teacher may fill a teaching position with an individual who has the skills and experience to deliver and / or assess student participation in an educational program.

There are a number of circumstances where PTT might be applicable.

See Interim suspension.

A pre-service teacher (PST) is someone who is undertaking the education and training required to become a teacher or early childhood teacher. It can also refer to a person who has already completed their teacher education studies but has not yet gained registration and practiced as a teacher.

PSTs will undertake their Supervised Practice Teaching (SPT) days under the guidance of a qualified teacher.

A primary document is used as evidence of your identity in the community  as part of an application and for the purpose of running the NCCHC. These include

• Australian drivers licence
• Australian marriage certificate
• Proof of age or photo ID card issued by Australian government.

In the conduct of its regulatory functions, VIT is bound by the Victorian Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (PDP Act) and the Health Records Act 2001 (HR Act) and therefore must comply with the Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) and the Health Privacy Principles (HPPs). These govern the collection, use, handling and disclosure of personal and sensitive information and health information. Personal information is information that relates to an identifiable living person. Personal information may take many forms including images.

VIT is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality and security of teachers’ and early childhood teachers’ personal and health information and adheres to the IPPs and HPPs.

The Professional Conduct Committee is responsible for considering reports in relation to investigations undertaken under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic) and determining an appropriate regulatory response. These responses include

• referring a matter for consideration by a formal, informal or medical hearing panel or criminal prosecution in relation to unregistered teaching
• resolving a matter by voluntary agreement with the teacher to impose conditions, suspend or cancel registration
• taking no further action due to insufficient evidence or where the teacher has demonstrated sufficient insight and remorse to render further regulatory intervention unnecessary
• undertaking educative intervention with individuals and schools about the requirement for registration and warning against the risk of recidivist unregistered teaching practice.

Professional learning (PL) is an ongoing process supported by planned learning activities and programs designed to enhance professional knowledge, practice and engagement.

A teacher should consider their individual PL needs in relation to their teaching context, the needs of their learners and the priorities of their learning environment or education sector.

The VIT requirement to undertake 20 hours of PL for renewal of registration applies to all registered teachers equally, whether they work full time, part time or on a casual basis.

The standards of professional practice are focused on student learning and articulate what a teacher should know and be able to do.

The professional practice activities they select

• need to reference the standards of professional practice that have been approved by the Minister for Education
• must support or enhance their professional knowledge about pedagogy, content and/or practice during their renewal period.

Thinking about professional practice in terms of the standards will help a teacher select professional development activities that keep their knowledge and practice updated. Consider asking

• How does this activity contribute to their professional knowledge and how will they apply that knowledge to their practice to supportive learning of their students?

Refers to how the school will support the Permission to Teach (PTT) applicant to develop their pedagogical and classroom management skills, and progress towards teacher registration according to their plan (i.e. the applicant's plan to progress towards teacher registration).

The Australian Professional Standards for Teachers are organised into four career stages designed to reflect the continuum of the development of your expertise as a teacher

1. graduate teacher
2. proficient teacher
3. highly accomplished teacher
4. lead teacher

VIT have adopted the graduate and proficient career stages for teacher registration and annual renewal.

A proficient teacher has met and demonstrated proficiency in the standards of Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (APST).

A qualification delivered by a higher education institution.

To verify your identity for the first time, you will need to provide us with copies of appropriate proof of identity documents.

• one commencement of identity document to confirm your birth or arrival in Australia
• one primary document to show the use of your identity in the community
• two secondary documents to show the use of your identity in the community
• a completed verification of identity form (downloaded as part of your application).

Please note, if VIT has previously verified your identity, your document requirements may differ. This will be specified within your application form.

At least one of your ID documents contains a photo of you; and that at least one of your ID documents contain your full name and date of birth.

Please note, VIT does not accept Working With Children Checks or bank / credit cards as forms of identification.

Change of name - if you have ever been known by another name then you must provide a linking document between your current name and former name(s).

Documents to show evidence of a name change are

•  a marriage certificate (church or celebrant-issued certificates are not accepted)
• divorce order
• name change certificate issued by a State or Territory Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
• Deed poll
• Statutory declaration (when none of the above documents is available).

The Protected Disclosure Act 2012 (formerly known as a Whistleblower Protection) encourages and assists people in making disclosures of improper conduct by public officers and public bodies. The Act provides protection to people who make disclosures about improper conduct in the public sector without fear of reprisal. These disclosures are called 'protected disclosures'.

Anyone can make a protected disclosure against the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT). This includes employees and members of the public.

The Protected Disclosure Act creates a framework for dealing with protected disclosures and the people who make them; its purpose is to

• encourage and assist people to make a disclosure of improper conduct and detrimental action by public officers and public bodies
• provide certain protections for people who make a disclosure, or those who may suffer detrimental action in reprisal for a disclosure
• ensure that certain information about a disclosure is kept confidential – the identity of the person making the disclosure, and the content of that disclosure.

A protected disclosure is a report made by a person about improper conduct of public bodies or public officers performing public functions.

• improper conduct includes corrupt conduct, the dishonest performance of public functions, knowingly or recklessly breaching public trust, misuse of information, substantial mismanagement of public resources or conduct involving substantial risk to public health or safety, or to the environment.

A protected disclosure can also be made about detrimental action against a person by public bodies or public officers in reprisal for the making of a protected disclosure.

• is actual or threatened adverse treatment of a person because the person made or intends to make a disclosure, or has cooperated, or intends to cooperate, with an investigation of a disclosure.

The Provider portal is for Early Childhood services and s a secure online facility enabling Victorian early childhood services and providers and their authorised delegates to

• confirm the current registration status of early childhood teachers employed at their service(s)
• seek the current registration status of an early childhood teacher they may wish to employ
• have edit-access for searching, adding or removing teachers to maintain their ‘All Teachers’ list
• access and complete a recommendation for full registration assigned to their service by a provisionally registered early childhood teacher
• view messages and any other correspondence from us.

As a provisionally registered teacher, you are new to the profession and/or have not yet practised as a qualified teacher in an Australian or New Zealand school, or are returning to the teaching profession after an absence of five or more years.

Provisional registration is granted until you are able to meet the standards at the Proficient Teacher level. We provide you with a period of two years to demonstrate you

• can apply your knowledge in teaching situations where you have full professional responsibility for the learning of students
• have met the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers
• have had at least 80 days teaching experience in an Australian or New Zealand school.

Holders of permission to teach (PTT) (General) and PTT (Internship) are expected to undertake an approved initial teacher education (ITE) program at the same time that they are using their PTT grant. Generally, VIT considers progression as completing at least 0.5 equivalent full-time student load (EFTSL) per semester of the ITE program for the duration of the PTT grant.

Exceptional circumstances
Exceptional circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
 

All permission to teach (PTT) applicants must progress towards teacher registration. Second (or subsequent) applications for PTT must demonstrate the progress made towards the plan as well as a plan for the coming grant.
Evidence of progress should include academic transcripts detailing the units that have been completed towards the accredited qualification.

All individuals holding permission to teach (PTT) must be supervised by a registered teacher. Supervision includes oversight of the planning and implementation of class programs, and professional support with regard to

• teaching methods / practices
• student welfare
• assessment procedures and related matters.

Note: it does not mean that a registered teacher has to be present in the classroom with the PTT holder at all times.