Common questions about certification for relief teachers

Our contact centre receives a lot of calls from relief teachers, or teachers looking to do relief work, about what kind of certification they need. We understand that it can be a potentially confusing topic so; to help clear things up, we’ve highlighted a few common questions we get around this topic. 

Is there a specific type of certification only for relief teaching? 

There’s no specific practising certificate only for relief teaching. If you are renewing or applying for a practising certificate after time out of the profession, you should apply for the practising certificate that you most recently held. If you don’t meet the requirements for that certificate type, you may still be able to apply for it by completing one of the refresh processes. 

Can a Registered teacher apply for a Limited Authority to Teach? 

Yes, but for a limited time only. Up until 31 December 2024 a registered teacher with no current practising certificate is able to apply for a one-year Limited Authority to Teach (LAT). Qualified teachers are not usually eligible for a LAT, but the Teaching Council has recognised the critical shortage of relief teachers and is doing its bit to get registered teachers back into classrooms by changing its eligibility criteria for LATs for a limited time. 

Who should endorse my application? 

If you are a relief teacher and have taught in a fixed-term or permanent role within the last five years, your endorser should be the current professional leader of that learning centre. If you have only engaged in relief teaching within the last five years, your endorser should be the current professional leader of the learning centre where you have done most of your recent relieving (even if the work was through an agency). 

The type of practising certificate you hold as a reliever depends on your role and your recent teaching experience. 

Your application for a practising certificate will be checked by the Teaching Council to review the following:  

• Time taught – how much teaching you have completed in the last five years and what certificate type you currently hold or last held. 

• Recency – how recent your teaching is over the last five years. 

For more information, we recommend this page on our website. If you need any help or advice about what practising certificate you need, you can get in touch with our contact centre at enquiries@teachingcouncil.nz, or you can also try our chatbot, Miromiro, who’s on call 24-7.