In Tasmania, degree-qualified Early Childhood Teachers (ECTs) working in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings are not currently included under the Teacher Registration Act 2000, which means they are currently unable to register as teachers in the state.

Registration Requirements Across Australia

Registration requirements for Early Childhood Teachers in ECEC vary across Australian jurisdictions:

  • Registration is mandatory in South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.
  • In the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), registration is voluntary.
  • Tasmania, Queensland, and the Northern Territory are the remaining jurisdictions where ECT registration in ECEC settings is not yet required.

National Workforce Strategy

The ECEC National Workforce Strategy includes an action (FA1.2) focusing on enabling early childhood teacher registration in all Australian jurisdictions.

In 2022, Tasmania committed to developing a jurisdictional roadmap to enable Teacher Registration for Early Childhood Teachers in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings in Tasmania, under the National ECEC Workforce Strategy Implementation and Evaluation Plan. This commitment is also being progressed by Queensland and the Northern Territory, the only two remaining jurisdictions that do not currently require ECTs to be registered alongside Tasmania. Updates on this work are available on ACECQA’s National Workforce Strategy online dashboard implementation tracker.

Tasmania’s commitment to ECT registration was reaffirmed in February 2024 as part of ACECQA’s Child Safety Review. Recommendations from other national inquiries, including the final report of the Productivity Commission Inquiry into ECEC, also support this initiative to enhance child safety and teaching practices.

ECT Registration Project

To meet Tasmania’s national commitment to ECT registration, Early Childhood Teachers working in ECEC have been included in the Teacher Registration Act 2000 Review. The Teachers Registration Act Review – Terms of Reference were recently approved by the Minister for Education.

The following roadmap outlines key milestones and expected timeframes for the Teachers Registration Act Review.

Consultation

Consultation for the ECT Registration Project will progress in 2025 as part of the public consultation for the Teacher Registration Act Review. Updates will be provided as the review progresses.

Updates on the progress of the Teachers Registration Act Review can be found on the DECYP website.

Any questions regarding the review can be directed to legislation@decyp.tas.gov.au