 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
Are your personal
details
up-to-date?
 |
| |
Notes from the Board Meeting - 29th September 2009
Notes from
the Board Meeting - 27th August 2009
Notes from
the Board Meeting - 28th July 2009
Notes from the
Board Meeting - 1st July 2009
A new Bill has been prepared which will amend the Teachers Registration Act
2000 and provide further clarity and detail in relation to the Teachers
Registration Board's powers and functions under the Act. The amendments will
also enhance communication and information sharing between the Board
and registrants, schools, employers and other regulatory bodies.
it is hoped that the new legislation will come into effect for 2010.
Some of the changes that will take place include:
-
Registration will be described in terms of either “full registration” or
“provisional registration”.
-
Full registration will now last for 5 years – an increase on the current
3 year cycle.
-
Provisional registration will also last for up to 5 years. There will be
no capacity to extend beyond this 5 year period. Currently provisional
registration can last for up to 3 years with the opportunity for a one
year extension.
-
The Act will require teacher registration in the Tasmanian Academy in
2010 and in the Tasmanian Polytechnic in 2011.
-
Those applying for registration or LATs must still meet all the same
requirements including the requirement to be of good character.
Applicants must also be fit to teach. While this requirement is in the
current Act, the definition of ‘fit to teach’ will be clear and the Act
will allow the Board to take into account any medical, psychiatric or
psychological condition of the applicant.
-
The Board can now place conditions on registration and on LATs. This
will allow the Board to respond to individual circumstances more
effectively and ensure that the registration category of each registrant
is appropriate to their situation.
-
The Board can also grant someone provisional registration rather than
full registration when they renew their registration. This would happen
if the person no longer satisfied all the requirements for full
registration but could meet provisional registration requirements.
-
The references to ‘indictable offence’ will be changed to ’prescribed
offence’ to ensure clarity. A prescribed offence will be defined as an
offence which may have a sentence of imprisonment imposed.
Ù
Top
The new Act also provides significant clarification in relation to
disciplinary matters:
-
A registrant will have to notify the Board if they are charged with
a prescribed offence. A registrant will also have to notify the
Board of the outcome of the charge.
-
If the registrant is found guilty the Board will be able to notify
the registrant’s employer of the conviction.
-
If the Board needs to take disciplinary action against a registrant
it will be able to place conditions on the registration of the
person or amend any conditions that may already be in place. This
power is in addition to the disciplinary measures available to the
Board under the current Act.
-
The section on ‘complaints’ will provide more detail about the
processes that are to be put in place. Included in this section will
be the capacity to do a preliminary assessment of a complaint.
-
The section on ‘inquiries’ will now provide more detail about the
processes that are to be put in place – how the Board will conduct
an inquiry, who the Board must notify of an inquiry, whether or not
the Board will hold a ‘hearing’ as part of an inquiry, possible
outcomes of an inquiry and/or hearing.
-
The new Act will also provide for confidentiality of disciplinary
processes and the Board will have the power to decide whether or not
inquiries are open to the public and can/cannot be reported upon.
-
If the Board considers a registrant may pose a risk of harm to a
student the Board will now be able to immediately suspend the
person’s registration pending an inquiry.
-
It will also be an offence under the Act to falsely claim to be a
registered teacher or the holder of a LAT.
Ù
Top
The new Act also provides for enhanced communication between the
Board, registrants and teacher employers:
-
The Board will be able to provide online access to the following
register details – name, registration or LAT number, category of
registration, expiry date, any conditions which may apply, the
provisions of the LAT.
-
Employers will be required to notify the Board of serious
disciplinary matters or teaching competency issues involving a
registered teacher or holder of a LAT.
-
The Board will be able to provide information on registrants to
corresponding registration authorities. This will allow the Board to
inform other registration authorities of any disciplinary action
taken against a Tasmanian registrant.
The new Act also changes the fee structure involved with the
registration process. Application fees will now be identified as
separate from the annual registration fee and Limited Authority fee and
will identify the cost of processing an application.
A range of other changes deal with administration of the Act, wording
changes, and employment of Board staff. The TRB website will soon have a
full description of the changes associated with the new Act.
Currently teachers in the Tasmanian Polytechnic are not required by law
to have teacher registration, this will change when the Teachers
Registration Act 2000 is amended. In preparation for this change the
Board is working with Polytechnic staff and the AEU to look at
Polytechnic qualification requirements for registration.
Once the legislation is in place the Board will ensure all Polytechnic
teachers have information on registration processes and requirements and
can begin to prepare for registration in January 2011.
Currently teachers in the Tasmanian Academy are not required
by law to have teacher registration, however this
will change when the Teachers Registration Act 2000 is
amended. The Academy, as a matter of policy, has required
all teachers to be registered for 2009. It is anticipated
that registration will be a legal requirement for Academy
teachers in 2010. Therefore all Academy teachers should
renew or maintain their registration at the end of 2009, in
readiness for 2010.
Congratulations to teachers who have undertaken the Provisional to Full
Registration process. This progression was trialled and implemented in 2008.
Teachers who have undertaken this process have demonstrated their ongoing
commitment to professional learning through self reflection, personal
development and professional practice.
Click here to read more about our celebrations.
Further
information is available on the 'Applying
for full registration'
page
or by contacting Mandy Reynolds-Smith on 6233 5147 or by email
mandy.reynolds-smith@trb.tas.gov.au
|
