Teaching in Victoria - Teacher Qualifications and Training

Teacher Qualifications and Training

All teachers graduating from Victorian pre-service teacher education programs in recent years have completed pre-service teacher education courses approved under the guidelines developed by the Victorian Institute of Teaching Standards Council.

Prospective teachers must undertake a four-year undergraduate programs in either a single education degree (e.g. Bachelor of Education) or a double degree where two degrees are completed at the same time (e.g. Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts). Alternatively, graduates who already hold a non-teaching degree or equivalent may undertake their pre-service teacher education in a postgraduate course of one or two years duration (e.g. Graduate Diploma of Education, Graduate Diploma in Education, Bachelor of Teaching). As of 2013 the one year courses are being phased out. Victorian Schools are already discriminating against employing one year course graduates. For one year course graduates, there are non teaching masters courses that can be used to increase their educational qualifications. Most of these courses are a one and a half year courses. VTAC which administers course entry has failed to make this change clear to applicants in 2013.

All prospective teachers must also undertake supervised teaching practice (known as the practicum) of at least 45 days. Most one-year postgraduate programs include 45–60 days. Longer postgraduate and undergraduate programs include 60–100 days. Many also include periods of professional field experience (not usually formally supervised teaching practice) in schools.