Have you ever thought about packing up the car and heading off to teach somewhere new? While remote work and the flexibility that goes with it has boomed in recent years, it isn’t always feasible for educators. For casual relief teachers in Australia, mutual recognition between states creates an easy path to teacher registration, meaning if you’re already registered to teach in one state, the process to be cleared to teach in another is streamlined. So, if you’re ready to hit the road and take a teaching tour, or are thinking about moving between states, read on to hear how you can make it happen.
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What is mutual recognition for teachers?
Using ClassCover to find work while travelling
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in NSW
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Victoria
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Queensland
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in South Australia
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Western Australia
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Tasmania
What is Mutual Recognition for Teaching?
Mutual recognition is a system designed to enable trained professionals, including teachers, to move between states and territories while maintaining their registration. With mutual recognition, the application process is fast tracked, meaning in most regions teachers need only show their existing credentials to be granted registration. While the system is regularly used by teachers in border areas to enable them to secure work in multiple states, mutual recognition is handy for teachers looking to move or live a nomadic life.
Once approved, teachers are required to pay for the cost of maintaining their registration in all states where they are registered to teach. One exception to this is in Victoria, where registration fees are waived for teachers who are currently registered to teach in NSW. This means teachers are free to travel between the two states and work as they please while only paying the one registration fee.
Using ClassCover to find work while travelling
ClassCover is widely used across Australia and is the perfect tool for teachers looking to move states or embark on a working holiday. Here are some of the ways ClassCover can help you plan your trip, connect with new schools and be booked for teaching work.
- Research before you go
Using Find new Schools, you can search by post code or school name to see what sort of teaching opportunities exist in an area you are thinking about visiting. From here, you can also drill down further using filters like school level (primary, secondary, early childhood, or some combination of those) and school type (independent, catholic, public) if there’s a specific type of school you are looking for. Rather than leaving it up to chance, do some research on schools before you go to give yourself the best chance of finding teaching work.
- Begin to Network
Once you’ve identified schools you would like to work with, the power of ClassCover really comes in handy. From your Find new Schools page, you can reach out to schools that catch your eye and request to join their teacher list. By opening the conversation, you can ensure you are on the radar of schools wherever you’re going and boost your chances of finding work.
- Keep your profile up to date and get booked for work
Once schools in the area you’re travelling to have added you to their teacher list, half the work is done. The best thing you can do to ensure you start to receive booking requests is to keep your ClassCover profile up to date. Make sure you have indicated your availability to work for the month ahead and keep an eye on your profile completion percentage on the left of your teacher dashboard.
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in New South Wales
In order to teach in NSW, all teachers—including those from interstate and overseas—must be registered with the NSW Education Standards Authority, known as NESA.
Teachers from other Australian states and territories as well as New Zealand can apply for mutual recognition via the NESA website. Teachers registered with either the Queensland College of Teachers or the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia must also complete an authority to release information form.
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Victoria
All educators in Victoria must be registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, or VIT. Teachers with qualifications from other Australian states and territories or New Zealand are eligible to apply for teaching registration in Victoria through mutual recognition provided they meet the following criteria:
- Not be the subject of any disciplinary proceedings or be subject to any special conditions as a result of criminal, civil or disciplinary proceedings in Australia or New Zealand
- Not have their teaching registration cancelled or suspended as a result of a disciplinary action
- Not be prohibited from teaching in Australia or New Zealand
Teachers wishing to apply for registration in Victoria through mutual recognition will first need to create a My VIT account with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, then fill out a statutory declaration giving the VIT permission to verify their interstate registration. The level of registration a teacher holds in their home state or territory is generally transferrable in Victoria, meaning if you hold full registration already, you will likely be eligible for full registration in Victoria. If you hold provisional registration this will typically remain if you gain registration as a teacher in Victoria.
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Queensland
Before applying to work as a teacher in Queensland, all educators must gain registration with the Queensland College of Teachers (QCS). For teachers wanting to gain registration through mutual recognition, the process involves:
- Sign up for a MyQCT account
- Complete the online application form noting that you are applying for registration through mutual recognition
- Submit the required documents
- Pay your registration fee
As noted by the QCT, teachers applying for registration in Queensland through mutual recognition are eligible to begin teaching once they have fully submitted their application using deemed registration. Here is a fact sheet with more information on the process from the QCT.
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in South Australia
In South Australia, all teachers must be registered with the Employable Teacher Register (ETR). Teachers wishing to apply for registration through mutual recognition in South Australia will need to provide proof of their existing teacher registration in their home state. Before the application will be approved, all educators must also pay the required fee and gain a South Australian Working with Children Check (WWCC).
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Western Australia
Educators who are registered to teach in another state or territory or New Zealand are eligible to gain registration to teach in Western Australia through mutual recognition. First, create an online profile with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia. Once you have signed up, complete the notice of mutual recognition form. You must then pay the required fee and complete an in-person statutory declaration. For more information, check out the TRBWA mutual recognition policy.
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Tasmania
In Tasmania, educators must be registered with the Teacher Registration Board of Tasmania (TRB). For teachers currently registered in another state or territory or New Zealand, you are able to apply for registration through mutual recognition.
To complete this process, first set up an account on the TRB Tasmania website. When filling out a registration application, you will need to include a copy of your current teacher registration showing:
- The jurisdiction
- Category of registration
- Expiry date
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in ACT
All teachers in the ACT must be registered with the ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI). For teachers from interstate or New Zealand wishing to teach in the ACT, you can apply for registration with the TQI through mutual recognition at the same level as you currently hold. Educators in the ACT are permitted to teach under deemed registration from the date that they submit all required documentation and have their original registration approved by the TQI.
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in Northern Territory
In the Northern Territory, all educators who hold registration to teach in another state or territory will be granted registration to teach in the territory at the same level they currently hold. This approval to teach is granted after an educator submits their registration application to the Teachers Registration Board of the Northern Territory (TRB) and has their out of state registration verified. Click here for more information.
Mutual Recognition for Teachers in New Zealand
If you’re interested in travelling a little further afield, the Teaching Council of Aotearoa and New Zealand provide registration for teachers from all Australian states and territories at their existing registration level through a mutual recognition agreement. To be approved, educators must provide proof of their current registration for the council to verify.
