Permission to teach | Victorian Institute of Teaching

Permission to teach (PTT) is an alternative authorisation to teach that exists primarily to address a workforce shortage within Victorian schools. PTT cannot be granted to teach in an early childhood service.

Schools must prioritise the employment of qualified, registered teachers. Read the Permission to Teach Policy to find out more.

Read the PTT for schools factsheet

Before an applicant can apply for PTT, the employer must endorse the candidate and provide information regarding the position, including why a grant of PTT is required and why a registered teacher was unable to be recruited.

The following principles apply to PTT

PTT applies only to positions where the duties to be undertaken are those of a teacher delivering an educational program in a school
PTT is granted to teach specific subjects or subject areas at a particular school, and therefore cannot be used to undertake casual relief teaching
PTT is not a renewable form of registration and is limited to a maximum of three (3) years for any grant
Unless explicitly exempt, holders of PTT are expected to progress toward teacher registration
PTT confers the same professional obligations of a registered teacher
The suitability and English Language Competence requirements for registration equally apply to PTT.
Unless specifically exempt, schools are required to provide evidence of workforce shortage, this must include evidence that the position was advertised in state-wide media in the last 3 months and information about unsuccessful candidates.

Read more about PTT categories and how they can be used.

Registration requirements and how to register

Teachers who wish to apply for PTT are not registered as qualified teachers as they do not currently meet the qualification requirements for registration.

Applying for PTT is a two-step process. Click on each step below to find out more.

Step 1 - Employer initiates the application

The school/employer wishing to fill a position via PTT must submit an application through their Employer portal. This application will provide VIT with details of the position to be filled and their preferred candidate.

To reduce delays and streamline the assessment, it is important that employers select the correct PTT category and provide detailed information in the application. The VIT will contact the nominated school contact if further information is required.

Unless otherwise exempt, detailed information about the recruitment process including why a registered teacher was not found for the role is essential for the timely assessment of applications.

The VIT will assess the application to ensure it meets all the requirements for a PTT grant under the Permission to Teach Policy.

Step 2 - Applicant finishes the application

Once VIT has approved your teaching position application, we will advise the preferred candidate via email that they can commence an application for PTT through their MyVIT account.

Please note

the preferred candidate cannot apply for permission to teach until the VIT has approved an employer’s application for PTT
the preferred candidate is not approved to teach until VIT notifies them that their registration has been approved
submission of an application does not automatically mean that the applicant will be granted PTT.

You can find out more about the registration timeline on the How long does it take to register page.

Please note a teacher cannot apply for permission to teach until the VIT has approved an employer’s application for PTT.

Watch our video - How to apply for permission to teach

Duties of a PTT holder

A PTT holder should not be undertaking additional duties of a teacher beyond teaching the subjects approved under their PTT grant. The following table outlines some of the common duties that a PTT holder may or may not be able to undertake

Common duties for a PTT holder

Activity	Can a PTT holder undertake this duty?
Teaching subject areas outside of PTT grant	No
Casual relief teaching (CRT)	No
Pastoral care / student wellbeing	No
Extras / class cover	No (unless in method area of PTT grant)
Year level / form assembly	Yes
Excursions	Yes (but not as the supervising teacher)
Yard duty	Yes
Exam / testing supervision (e.g. Naplan / PAT)	Yes
School camps	No (can attend, but does not count towards student / teacher ratios and cannot be unsupervised)
Staff meetings	Yes
School events / fairs	Yes (but not as the supervising teacher)
Co-curricular programs (e.g. school musical / sports)	Yes (but not as the supervising teacher)
Supervising pre-service teachers	No

Ongoing obligations

All teachers, regardless of their registration category, are required to meet certain obligations in order to maintain their registration.

For teachers with PTT, these include

completing the annual registration process by 30 September each year, which includes
- paying an annual registration fee
consenting to VIT running a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) every four to five years*
maintaining their details with VIT, including confirming/updating their name, contact and employment details.

Visit the Maintain my registration page to find out more.

* If registration was granted before 30 September, the NCCHC will be conducted as part of the annual registration process during the fourth year.

Resources

The following factsheets are available to assist employers and those applying for permission to teach with understanding the registration process.

Last updated: 10 Apr 2025

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