Next year teachers working in the early childhood sector will be part of the BOSTES accreditation process, the same as school teachers.
Current teachers will be ‘deemed’ Proficient from 1 January 2016, and from 1 October 2016 anyone entering the profession will have to undergo the accreditation process.
How BOSTES will administer this is a work in progress.
An early childhood panel discussion at the Securing Our Future Best Practice Induction and Mentoring Conference held on 21-22 May focused on accreditation.
Most participants agreed that accreditation will give early childhood teachers the professional base they need to prove their worth. Max Grarock, Teacher Learning Network Victoria Program Manager, said it was vital teachers told BOSTES now, during the consultation period, how the induction and mentoring process should be run in early childhood education.
“We must choose our own destiny,” Max said.
To that end, the IEU is encouraging early childhood teachers to vote at the BOSTES Quality Teaching Council (QTC) elections.
This year will be the first time that an early childhood teacher can be voted onto the QTC to represent the sector.
The IEU hopes that all early childhood teachers register to vote for their representative.