All teachers in all Australian schools must be registered with the relevant state or territory authority. In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) this authority is the ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI).
TQI makes provision for teacher registration at different stages of a teachers’ career and education.
Full Registration
Full registration is for teachers with experience Teaching in a school in Australia or New Zealand or teaching in an approved education and care service who have been assessed as meeting the Proficient level of the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. All eligibility requirements for Full registration must be met.
Provisional Registration
Provisional registration is for newly qualified teachers or experienced teachers who do not have recent experience teaching in a school in Australia or New Zealand or teaching in an approved education and care service. Many teachers moving or returning to Australia from another country will be granted a Provisional registration.
Early Childhood Teacher (ECT) Registration
ECT registration is for teachers holding early childhood teacher level qualifications working in birth – 5 education settings. They may be working in schools within the preschool program or in Early Childhood Education and Care services. All eligibility requirements for ECT registration must be met
Permit to Teach
Permit to teach (PTT) is not a registration category. It is an approval to teach in ACT. These may, under some circumstances, and only if TQI is satisfied it is appropriate to do so, be approved under S34 of the ACT Teacher Quality institute Act.
Permits to Teach can only be requested by an employer and must demonstrate one of the following:
- They have a teaching position they are unable to fill with a suitably registered teacher and the candidate has specialist knowledge, training, skills or qualifications; or
- The candidate is a pre-service teacher in the final semester of their accredited initial teacher education program and has completed all required professional experience placements; or
- The candidate is a pre-service teacher in the final year of their accredited initial teacher education (ITE) program, the ITE provider and an employer have a TQI endorsed ITE Student PTT Agreement in place and the candidate is identified by the ITE provider as eligible under the agreement.
An application for a PTT can only be made once a request has been received from an employer - Pre-service teachers cannot apply directly to TQI.
Detailed information on the application and approval process can be found in the following documents:
Registration and Approval to Teach Eligibility Criteria Table
Eligibility Requirements | Full Registration | Provisional Registration | Early Childhood Teacher Registration | Permit to Teach (PTT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Holds a teaching qualification consisting of at least 4 years of academic study and including an accredited pre-service teacher education program | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | Course in Progress |
| Holds an ACECQA approved Early Childhood Teacher level qualification or an accredited 4 year birth-5, birth -8 or birth-12 teacher education program | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ | ❌ |
In the 5-year period before the day the application is made, 180 days of teaching at a school in Australia or New Zealand | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Has the oral and written English language skills and communication requirements. | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Holds working with vulnerable people registration | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Is an Australian or New Zealand citizen, has permanent resident status, or has a valid work visa allowing the person to work in Australia | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
If the person has provisional registration or a permit to teach that is subject to 1 or more conditions the person has fulfilled each condition | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Meets the demonstrated abilities, knowledge and skills required by the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers | ✔️ proficient level | ✔️ graduate level | ❌ | ❌ |
The person’s permit to teach or registration has not been cancelled in the ACT or by a corresponding registering authority other than in accordance with a request by the person | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Current teacher registration in another Australian state or Territory or in New Zealand (with Practising Certificate) | ✔️ if applying under Mutual Recognition provisions | ✔️ if applying under Mutual Recognition provisions | ✔️ if applying under Mutual Recognition provisions | ❌ Mutual Recognition provisions do not apply |