Teachers who began teaching before 1 October 2004 in NSW and haven’t had a break of five years or more will be accredited at Proficient on 1 January 2018. The provisos are:
- you have been teaching in the five years before 1 January 2018
- you have a current Working with Children Check as of 1 January 2018 (see the article on WWCC on page 12)
- you pay the $100 fee by the due date (in 2018), and
- and have no serious performance or grievance procedures at the time. If these exist but can be remedied then transition occurs.
How exactly the exchange of information between employers and BOSTES occurs is still being negotiated, but you can’t create a BOSTES account now. This will be created for you closer to 2018. The exchange of information from the Union perspective is your name as an employee.
Misinformation exists regarding the accreditation on 1 January 2018 but know that the following is true:
Your current qualifications (including two years trained and three years trained) are fine as long as you don’t take a break from NSW teaching for five years or more.
The IEU will run information sessions when there is clarity about the entire process. Watch the IEU’s PD program www.ieu.asn.au and your email inbox for further details.
Updated policy drafted
In line with changes to the Teacher Accreditation Act 2004, BOSTES will now be the initial accrediting authority for those entering the teacher workforce post 5 August 2015. This means that there will be consistency of judgement regarding qualifications and allocation of either ‘provisional’ or ‘conditional’ as appropriate. ‘Provisional’ means you have finished a teaching qualification. ‘Conditional’ means you have completed an undergraduate and at least three quarters of a teaching qualification and can teach whilst you finish up. The IEU broadly supports this change.
Changes to Maintenance of Accreditation
The IEU suggested to BOSTES that it increase the number of hours automatically recognised when someone completes a unit of study at undergraduate or postgraduate level for the purposes of maintaining accreditation at Proficient, Highly Accomplished or Lead. The proposed change is that 120 hours will count per unit of study as compared the previous mediocre 20 hours. The drafted policy will need endorsement by the Quality Teaching Council before it is official.
Consultation draft for Teacher Accreditation Authorities
The IEU has been consulted ahead of a drafted set of rules for Teacher Accreditation Authorities being proposed to the Quality Teaching Council. The draft is promising, although the IEU informed BOSTES of a number of matters requiring attention. This document will fill a noticeable vacuum that has existed since the original Institute of Teachers came into being – no clear monitoring or scrutiny of TAAs and their processes. This is significant as the processes required of teachers must be supported by employers.
New schools will need to apply to be TAAs and existing schools will have their TAA status reconsidered in line with their BOSTES registration.
Clearer expectations regarding supervision and mentoring of accredited teachers, appropriate record keeping, as well as the provision of workplace policies and procedures to newly employed teachers will be included in the document. It will see that teachers are treated more consistently with regards to their accreditation, and that TAAs who do not follow the guidelines can be subject to review and possible removal of their TAA status. This manual will provide certainty of process to support teachers engaged with accreditation. Importantly when BOSTES inspections (both planned and random) occur, TAA policies must exist and be in play.
Professional development costs questioned
The IEU has formally written to BOSTES to express disquiet concerning the range of charges for the HSC Marking Process. The PD is being provided for Drama, Visual Arts, Music Composition and Textiles and Design. Costs range from $105 to $170. The Union acknowledges the provision of QTC Registered PD but when viewed through the prism of weekend attendance and the obvious value to students, the charges appear incongruous with the role of BOSTES in supporting teachers.