Teacher qualification licencing requirements FAQs
- What is the 50% Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
- Why do we have the Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
- Does the requirement apply to all types of early childhood education services?
- Can my service count volunteer staff under the 50% Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
- Can the "Staff in Study" person also be the "person responsible"?
- If my service meets the 50% Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement, what level of funding will we receive?
- What if my ECE service can not meet the Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
- What will happen if my service doesn't meet the requirement after the provisional licence has lapsed?
- Are there enough teachers for all eligible ECE services to meet the 50% requirement?
1. What is the 50% Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
The 50% teacher qualification licensing requirement means that all teacher-led, centre based early childhood education (ECE) services need 50% of their "total regulated staff" to hold an ECE teaching qualification which is at Level 7 on New Zealand’s National Qualifications (NZQA) framework and recognised by the New Zealand Teachers Council for the purposes of registration. The 50% requirement came into effect on 31 December 2007.
"Total regulated staff" means the staff required by a centre to meet their regulated adult:child ratios for their licensed maximum number of children. Regulated adult:child ratios are outlined in Schedule 3 of the Education (Early Childhood Centres) Regulations 1998 and Schedule 2 of the Education (Early Childhood Services) Regulations 2008.
2. Why do we have the Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
Research shows that teacher qualifications contribute to the quality of ECE and that children’s learning outcomes are better supported from participation in quality early childhood education.
By making the requirement a part of ECE licensing requirements it ensures consistency in quality across our teacher-led ECE services. It means ECE services are responsible for ensuring staff have the correct qualifications to enable the service to offer quality provision.
3. Does the requirement apply to all types of early childhood education services?
The requirement applies to all day and sessional, teacher-led, centre based early childhood services. It does not affect parent-led services such as kohanga reo or Playcentre.
Kindergartens with sessional licenses are required to have 100% qualified teachers by law. In home-based services the coordinator is required to be a qualified and registered early childhood teacher but the home-based educators providing the day-to-day care and education are not.
4. Can my service count volunteer staff under the 50% Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
Yes, as long as they are included on the staff roster and the ECE service has evidence that any voluntary staff are ECE qualified or in their final year of study towards an ECE qualification.
5. Can the "Staff in Study" person also be the "person responsible"?
No, as the person responsible is required to be a qualified and registered early childhood teacher.
6. If my service meets the 50% Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement, what level of funding will we receive?
Your ECE service will receive the level of funding that matches the proportion of registered teachers you currently have employed. Please note from 1 Feb 2011 changes will apply. Refer to Budget 2010 for more information on funding changes.
If you have counted a person as "staff in study" to meet the 50% licensing requirement they cannot be counted as registered for funding purposes.
The current funding regime and associated funding rules are administered separately to licensing requirements and the existing funding rates are not affected by the requirement. The early childhood education funding system, introduced on 1 July 2005, continues to provide higher funding rates for ECE services with higher proportions of registered staff. A table of the current funding rates can be found on the Ministry's website here in the Funding section.
7. What if my ECE service can not meet the 50% Teacher Qualification Licensing Requirement?
If your ECE service anticipates having difficulty in meeting this licensing requirement, contact your local office of the Ministry of Education to discuss your situation. The Ministry may be able to issue a provisional licence (subject to conditions) under which your service may continue to operate for a specified period to enable your service to recruit staff in order to meet the licensing requirements. As with any other licence breach, provisional licences will be granted only where there are no significant risks to the health, safety and well-being of the children attending. Provisional licences may be approved on a case by case basis to allow services time to meet licensing requirements.
8. What will happen if my service doesn't meet the requirement after the provisional licence has lapsed?
If a service on a provisional licence does not meet this requirement by the date specified on the provisional licence, then the licence will be cancelled. Dates specified on the licence will range in timeframes from 3 to 12 months depending on a range of factors, including any impact on the service's ability to continue meeting other regulatory requirements.
9. Are there enough teachers for all eligible ECE services to meet the 50% requirement?
Nationally, more than 64 percent of teachers are qualified, but the distribution of teachers is uneven across services and regions.