The NSW Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, has announced that legislation has been introduced in NSW to ensure that all NSW teachers are accredited by 2017. The Teacher Accreditation Amendment Bill 2014 (NSW) (Bill) was introduced to NSW Parliament on 10 September 2014 and is subject to further debate. The Bill will amend the accreditation provisions of the Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 (NSW) (Act) to implement the changes proposed by Mr Piccoli.
More than 60,000 NSW teachers are already accredited with the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) under the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (Standards) and Mr Piccoli expects this number to increase to 75,000.
Until now, only those teachers who began teaching after October 2004, or who had a break from teaching of five years or more, have needed to be accredited.
Accreditation will mean full-time teachers must:
- undertake 100 hours of professional development over five years; and
- demonstrate every five years that their professional practice continues to meet the Standards.
Teachers who have their accreditation revoked under the Act may also have their employment terminated by their employer.
Executive Director of the Association of Independent Schools of NSW, Dr Geoff Newcombe,
congratulated Mr Piccoli for introducing the changes. Dr Newcombe believes the introduction of the new legislation is 'another important step in continuing to improve the status of the teaching profession in NSW'. Dr Newcombe also referred to the benefits the accreditation requirement will have for principals and senior staff who no longer spend time in the classroom on a regular basis.
Amongst other changes, the Bill also:
- extends the accreditation requirement to teachers at early childhood education centres;
- inserts new conditions for the revocation of a teacher's accreditation (including for failure to comply with any of the requirements under the Standards); and
- deters unaccredited teachers by introducing a new offence for unaccredited persons to teach in schools. This offence carries a penalty $11,000 (for individuals). Under the current law, only the principal or employer commits an offence if they employ a teacher who is unaccredited.
BOSTES President Tom Alegounarias is quoted in Mr Piccoli's press release as saying that the new accreditation requirements for school teachers will be rolled out in partnership with the school sectors over the next three years.
