Special Authority - Early Childhood Teachers

Read the Special Authority to Teach - Early Childhood Teacher Policy here

All early childhood teachers working in an approved education and care service in South Australia need to be registered with the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (the Board) or have authorisation from the Board to practice as a teacher.

An approved education and care service comprises –

• pre-schools, kindergartens, early learning centres or
• the provision of centre-based long daycare services that consist of pre-school education to children birth to six, who have not yet commenced school.

You must have teacher registration in South Australia if you:

• are employed as an early childhood teacher in an approved early childhood education and care service.

Registration recognises the professional standing of early childhood teachers in the community.

On 1 January 2012, the Education and Care Services National Law 2010 (the National Law) and Regulations 2010 came into effect, which describes the regulatory requirements for education and care services for children in Australia.

The National Law contains a transitional provision for a person working as an early childhood teacher. This provision applies on and after 1 January 2014.

Are you eligible to be recognised as equivalent to an early childhood teacher?

You are eligible if you:

• are actively working towards an accredited early childhood teaching qualification and can provide documentary evidence that you are at least 50% through a four-year course or,
• hold an approved Diploma and are enrolled in an accredited early childhood teacher education program.

You can check the updated list of approved early childhood teaching qualifications on the ACECQA website.

Please note, not all of these programs will be accepted for teacher registration in South Australia. If you are unsure about your qualifications meeting requirements, please contact us for further clarification.

Download an application form.

If you are the owner, director or manager of an approved education and care service within South Australia you are responsible for ensuring that all early childhood teachers employed at your site are registered with the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (the Board).

The Board is responsible for the regulation of the teaching profession in South Australia. Each year the Board conducts an audit of all schools, pre-schools, and prescribed services in South Australia to ensure that only persons with current teacher registration or a Special Authority to Teach are employed as teachers. This includes early childhood teachers employed in long daycare services.

The compliance audit will ask you to provide the full name, registration number and date of birth for all early childhood teachers employed at your site. If you have a current waiver from the Education and Early Childhood Services Registration and Standards Board you will be asked to provide details regarding this.