Last year, the SSTUWA wrote to the Teacher Registration Board of WA (TRBWA) outlining several member concerns regarding workload implications around providing new copies of documents already previously provided to the TRBWA with regards to renewal of registration.

The SSTUWA recommended that only new or altered documents be required for the purposes of renewing registrations.  

In their response, TRBWA confirmed that qualifications, English language proficiency and professional standards documents that had previously been provided to the TRBWA as part of the initial application were not required to be provided as part of the renewal applications.

In respect of the fit and proper requirement, to assist in determining whether applicants are fit and proper to be registered as teachers, currently identity documents are required to facilitate criminal history checks under the Teacher Registration Act 2012.

The number and type of such documents required for renewal of registration is a function of TRBWA’s contractual agreement with the Australian Criminal Investigation Commission (ACIC), which is responsible for undertaking criminal history checks.

Since 2017, four forms of current identification documents are required to be presented, a measure introduced by ACIC to reduce identity theft in Australia.

As renewal of Full Registration tends to happen every five years, many applicants will find that most, if not all, of the identification documentation provided at the time of their last renewal would have expired by their renewal date. For example, a driver’s licence or Working with Children Check.

In 2022 a review was conducted of the Teacher Registration Act 2012, with several consultation meetings held or which SSTUWA were a part of.

While we don’t agree with all the changes, and as discussed in our meetings, it is important that our members are aware of the changes.

Information from the TRBWA website:

Why are changes needed?

The Review of the Act was undertaken to consider the operation and effectiveness of the TRBWA. The review identified some changes needed to the current legislation to achieve the following:

• Strengthen the powers of the TRBWA to respond to matters of child safety involving teachers, consistent with recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
• Ensure an effective registration system that allows teachers to move between registration categories and improve fairness for teachers returning after an absence.
• Allow WA to participate to a greater degree in the Australian Teacher Workforce Data Strategy, providing a clearer picture of the national teacher workforce.
• Promote a skilled teaching workforce.

Changes to Non-Practising Registration

From 19 December 2023, teachers holding Non-Practising Registration will be required to change their category of registration before they commence teaching.

Teachers holding Non-Practising Registration will no longer be able to teach from 19 December 2023, aligning this category with other states and territories, reducing confusion for teachers, employers and other stakeholders. Teachers holding Non-Practising Registration will still appear on the Register of Teachers, but they will not be permitted to teach as a registered teacher in any WA school or early childhood service.

For the group of teachers holding Non-Practising Registration who have advised us they are currently teaching (and have an expiry date on their current registration on or after 19 December 2023), we are implementing streamlined transfers of registration category to support their continued ability to contribute to the teaching profession. This group of teachers will be transferred to the appropriate sub-category of Provisional Registration (Returning Teacher or Graduate Teacher) on 19 December 2023. This change will happen automatically and these teachers do not need to take any action.

A small number of teachers holding Non-Practising Registration, who are not currently teaching, will need to take action if they would like to return to teaching after the changes take effect. We have been contacting all teachers who hold Non-Practising Registration, who haven’t notified us that they are currently teaching and do not have an expiry date on their registration, to advise them of their options prior to the changes coming into effect.

If you are impacted by this change, you may be eligible to change to a different category of registration, to enable you to have the ability to teach after the changes take effect.

Communications were sent directly to teachers holding Non-Practising Registration in September to outline the implications of the changes, and what this means for them.

If you hold Non-Practising Registration and you haven’t received your first email from us, please contact us on 9223 9100 or via email at info@trb.education.wa.edu.au.

For more details click here.