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Teacher employment requirements and registration

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    Find out what you need to do to be eligible to teach in South Australian government schools and preschools.

    Teaching roles in schools and preschools include:

    • permanent school and preschool teachers
    • temporary contract teachers
    • relief teachers
    • school and preschool leadership positions.

    Mandatory requirements

    To teach in a South Australian government school or preschool, you must:

    Once you've met all the requirements for employment, you'll receive an approved authority to teach letter by email.

    Following successful employment, it's also expected that provisionally registered teachers will gain full registration within 3 years, or up to 6 years depending on individual circumstances.

    Qualifications and subject verification

    South Australian teachers must hold university teaching qualifications in an area of specialisation or level of schooling. The codes for subject specialisations and levels of schooling can be found at preparing your Edujobs online application and in the ‘help’ of section 4 of the online teaching application.

    You are asked to self-rate yourself for each subject (PDF 184 KB) you are prepared to teach based on your teaching experience and university qualifications, and to provide evidence for these ratings based on practicum reports, employment history and academic transcripts.

    From January 1 2019 all students enrolled in teaching qualifications in South Australia will be required to pass the Literacy and Numeracy Test for Initial Teacher Education Students (LANTITE) before they graduate. More information on the test is available from ACER.

    Employment restrictions for non-accredited teaching qualifications

    Some qualifications approved through the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) do NOT meet the requirements for employment in teaching positions with the Department for Education.

    To be eligible for employment as a teacher in the Department for Education you must hold a qualification that is deemed appropriate for registration with the SA TRB.

    If this qualification was obtained following the establishment of nationally agreed ITE Accreditation Standards (2011), then it must meet these nationally agreed standards (nationally accredited teaching degree) or be an appropriate early childhood teaching qualification.

    Teachers who are registered in South Australia under mutual recognition from other jurisdictions, who do not meet these qualification requirements, will not be eligible for teaching employment.

    The current list of non-accredited qualifications includes:

    Curtin University

    • Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary Education)
    • Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary Education)

    Edith Cowan University

    • Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Teaching
    • Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Primary)
    • Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary)

    Murdoch University

    • Graduate Diploma in Education (Primary Teaching)
    • Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary Teaching)

    Southern Cross University

    • Graduate Diploma in Education (Early Childhood)
    • Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary)
    • Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Secondary).

    This list may change.

    Early childhood certification

    In addition to the requirements listed above, early childhood teachers must meet 1 of the following requirements:

    • hold an Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) approved childhood teaching qualification (including 3-year early childhood teaching qualifications) – see the Teachers Registration Board for more information
      • teachers who hold a 3-year early childhood teaching qualification may only teach in early years settings, so they are not able to teach in a primary school
    • hold a university undergraduate degree and approved post graduate pre-service university qualification in early childhood teaching – for example a Master of Teaching and Graduate Diploma in early childhood will together satisfy teacher registration
      • not all combination qualifications met the criteria to teach in an early childhood setting within the department. Qualifications gained and accredited by interstate registration will need to be assessed.
    • be a permanent Department for Education teacher before 2012 and hold a letter of approval (sometimes called a 'green dot' letter) from the Assistant Director, People and Culture Operations, to work in an early childhood program
    • hold an authority to teach letter clearing you to be employed in an early childhood program.

    We do not accept TAFE qualifications as a teaching qualification.

    Combination qualifications

    Teachers with a combination qualification may be eligible to teach in department preschools.

    A combination qualification is a bachelor or masters teaching qualification, plus an ACECQA approved Certificate III (or higher) in early childhood education and care. Teachers actively working towards an ACECQA approved Certificate III (or higher) are considered to hold a combination qualification. To be considered as actively working towards an ACECQA approved qualification, the person must have enrolled in the approved course, have started studying and be making satisfactory progress.

    For example, if someone has completed a bachelor of primary education and is currently studying a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, this teacher is considered to hold a combination qualification and approved to work in an early childhood setting.

    All transcripts and relevant qualification information need to be attached to your Employable Teacher Register (ETR) application. If you believe you hold a combination qualification, follow the below steps dependent on your employment within the department:

    • new to the department – attach your transcripts as part of your supporting documents for your ETR application
    • temporary or contract employee – you will need to log back into your ETR application via EduJobs, attach your supporting documentation, then resubmit the application
    • permanent employee – email a copy of your transcript to education.hr@sa.gov.au.

    Availability for employment

    Make sure you keep your availability for employment in your application up to date and accurate.

    Common application errors

    Avoid these common errors below to help process your application.

    No documentation to verify your name or residency

    Make sure that you:

    • use the same full name (including all middle names) as it appears on your birth certificate, passport or any name change documents in your application for employment
    • attach all residency and name change documents so we can link all the changes. For example attaching your birth certificate is not enough if you are now using your married name and you do not provide the marriage certificate
    • have the appropriate visa if you require one. Attach it to your application with a copy of your passport. The department does not sponsor visas.

    Teacher registration number

    You must include your correct teacher registration number on your application for employment.

    Do not put your education ID number as your teacher registration number. Your teacher registration number is at the top of your registration certificate and is 6 numbers.

    Pre-employment declaration

    Be honest and declare everything as you complete your pre-employment declaration. If you answer yes or unsure to any question – give us the full details. Include as much information as you can, even if you think it's insignificant. This will mean less time wasted following up with you for more details. The extra time required for follow-up will vary and depends on the nature and complexity of the issues identified. Varying system and site needs may cause other delays.

    Do not change your answers unless your situation has changed. Changes require us to do a full check again.

    Submitting your application

    See teacher recruitment for details on how to apply and to explore currently advertised positions.

    People and Culture

    Phone: 8226 1356
    Email: education.hr [at] sa.gov.au

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