December | 2021
This fact sheet provides a summary of the requirements for centre-based services educating and caring for children of preschool age or under. The regulations referred to are from the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011.
What are the requirements?
Fewer than 25 approved places
Requirements for early childhood teacher | Access to early childhood teacher |
|---|---|
The service must have access to an early childhood teacher working with the service for at least 20% of the time that the service provides education and care. | The early childhood teacher may be working with your service by means of information and communications technology. You can calculate the period an early childhood teacher works with your service on a quarterly basis. |
This is outlined in r. 130 of the National Regulations.
25 or more approved places but fewer than 25 children being educated and cared for on a given day
Requirements for early childhood teacher | Access to early childhood teacher |
|---|---|
The service must have access to an early childhood teacher working with the service for at least 20% of the time that the service provides education and care. | The early childhood teacher may be working with your service by means of information and communications technology. You can calculate the period an early childhood teacher works with your service on a quarterly basis. |
This is outlined in (r. 131) of the National Regulations.
25–59 children being educated and cared for on a given day
Requirements for early childhood teacher | Access to early childhood teacher |
|---|---|
An early childhood teacher must be in attendance at the service:
These requirements do not apply if your service employs or engages a full-time (or full-time-equivalent*) early childhood teacher at your service. | An early childhood teacher is in attendance at the service if the teacher is physically present at the service and carrying out education and care activities at the service, including one or more of the following:
|
This is outlined in r. 132 of the National Regulations.
60–80 children being educated and cared for on a given day
| Requirements for early childhood teacher | Access to early childhood teacher |
|---|---|
The service must employ or engage a full-time or full-time-equivalent* early childhood teacher, or have an early childhood teacher in attendance, for:
These requirements do not apply if the service has 60 to 80 approved places, and employs or engages a full-time or full-time-equivalent* early childhood teacher at the service, and employs or engages a second early childhood teacher or suitably qualified person for half the hours or full-time-equivalent* hours at the service. | An early childhood teacher is in attendance at the service if the teacher is physically present at the service and carrying out education and care activities at the service, including one or more of the following:
|
This is outlined in r. 133 of the National Regulations.
More than 80 children being educated and cared for on a given day
| Requirements for early childhood teacher | Access to early childhood teacher |
|---|---|
The service must employ or engage a full-time or full-time-equivalent* early childhood teacher, or have an early childhood teacher in attendance, for:
These requirements do not apply if the service has more than 80 approved places, and employs or engages a full-time or full-time-equivalent* early childhood teacher at the service, and employs or engages a second full-time or full-time-equivalent* early childhood teacher or suitably qualified person at the service. | An early childhood teacher is in attendance at the service if the teacher is physically present at the service and carrying out education and care activities at the service, including one or more of the following:
|
This is outlined in r. 134 of the National Regulations.
*Full-time equivalent means the number of hours a full-time employee would work in that role in accordance with the relevant award they are employed under.
Are you a declared early childhood teacher?
You are taken to hold an approved early childhood teaching qualification if, immediately before 1 January 2012, you either:
- were recognised under the former education and care services law, or for the purposes of a preschool funding program, and were employed as an early childhood teacher
- held a qualification that is published by ACECQA
- were registered as a teacher under the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004 (SA) and employed to deliver a preschool program
- were enrolled in a course for a qualification that is published under r. 137(2) and upon completion of this course.
This is covered in r. 241.
Working towards an approved early childhood teaching qualification
The Education and Care Services National Regulations contain a transitional provision for a person to be taken to be an early childhood teacher. This provision applies on and after 1 January 2014 and before 31 December 2023 (r. 242).
Eligibility to be recognised as equivalent to an early childhood teacher applies to a person who:
- is actively working towards an approved early childhood teaching qualification
AND
- provides the approved provider with documentary evidence that they have completed at least 50% of the course or holds an approved diploma-level education and care qualification.
To be actively working towards an approved early childhood teaching qualification you must do all of the following:
- be enrolled in a course for the qualification
- have commenced the course
- be making satisfactory progress towards completion
- meet the requirements to maintain enrolment.
Newly updated approved early childhood teaching qualification
The independent national authority ACECQA has updated the list of approved early childhood teaching qualifications to enable more people to be taken to be an early childhood teacher. This includes a person to whom all of the following applies:
- holds a primary teaching qualification that has a focus on children aged 5 to 8 years old (e.g. a qualification with a focus on children aged 3 to 8 or 5 to 12 years)
- is registered by the Teachers Registration Board (TRB)
- holds an approved education and care diploma or higher qualification published on ACECQA’s qualification lists.
Do I have to be registered as a teacher?
Yes. In order to be employed in South Australia as a teacher in a school, preschool or long day-care service, you must be registered with the TRB.
If your service employs an early childhood teacher, you need to ensure that the person is registered as a teacher in SA or has authorisation from the TRB to practice as a teacher.
Any person engaged as an early childhood teacher should not commence employment until they are registered as a teacher or have authorisation from the TRB to practice as a teacher. TRB considers each application on a case-by-case basis to determine whether teacher registration requirements are met or an authorisation can be granted to practice as a teacher.
Information relating to the teacher registration process, including the application form, can be found on the TRB website.
If there are any issues about requirements for teacher registration for the person employed as an early childhood teacher, please contact the TRB office:
Email: professional.standards [at] trb.sa.edu.au
Phone: 8226 3497 or 8226 5977 and speak to a professional standards project officer.
Remote and very remote services
To give remote and very remote services extra time to meet the increased teacher requirements, there is a transition period for them. In South Australia, remote and very remote services have been granted an extension until 31 December 2021. For more information see ‘Education Council agrees to extend transitional workforce provisions’ on the ACECQA website.
Note: The early childhood teacher may be working with your service by means of information and communications technology.
Contact details
Education Standards Board
Phone: (08) 8226 0077 or 1800 882 413
Website: www.esb.sa.gov.au
Email: educationstandardsboard [at] sa.gov.au
This fact sheet provides guidance for approved providers of education and care services to help them operate in line with the National Quality Framework. We also recommend referring directly to the legislation:
- Education and Early Childhood Services (Registration and Standards) Act 2011 (SA), incorporating the Education and Care Services National Law (South Australia)
- Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011
- Education and Early Childhood Services (Registration and Standards) Regulations 2011 (SA).
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