Supporting safe, trusted teaching: The Teaching Council's regulatory role
06 July 2026
Matatū Aotearoa | Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand is the independent professional regulator for teachers across early childhood, primary, and secondary education.
The Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Act 2026 changes roles and responsibilities across the education system, including the respective responsibilities of the Secretary for Education and the Teaching Council. The Teaching Council continues its role as Aotearoa New Zealand's independent professional regulator for teachers.
"While roles and responsibilities across the education system have changed, our commitment to protecting learners and maintaining public confidence in teaching remains unchanged," says Patrick Walsh, Acting Chair.
As kaitiaki of the teaching profession, we have an enduring responsibility to care for the integrity of the profession in the public interest. This means helping ensure teaching remains a profession New Zealanders can continue to trust through independent regulation, clear expectations, and fair, transparent decision-making.
The Teaching Council continues as the independent professional and regulatory body for teachers and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers. There is no change to how teachers engage with the Teaching Council.
The Teaching Council will continue to process teacher registration and Limited Authority to Teach (LAT) applications, issue and renew practising certificates, receive and manage reports or complaints about competence or conduct, and lead professional conduct and competence processes. There is also no change to how ITE providers engage with the Teaching Council. The Teaching Council will continue to approve ITE programmes, undertake programme review and monitoring, maintain quality assurance expectations, and oversee graduate readiness in relation to professional standards. The legislation reinforces the Teaching Council’s ongoing focus on protecting child safety, carrying out quality assurance functions for ITE, and supporting monitoring and reporting arrangements.
For teachers, these changes provide greater clarity about the expectations and standards that guide professional practice. For learners, whānau, and the public, they reaffirm that teaching continues to be independently regulated in the public interest, with clear expectations, the promotion of good practice, and action where serious concerns arise.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi remains foundational to our work. Guided by Te Tiriti, our values of whakamana, manaakitanga, pono, and whanaungatanga, and Ngā Pātū o te Whare | Wall of Identity, we continue to take a fair, transparent, and relationship-centred approach to regulation that serves the public interest. This reflects our understanding that belonging, identity, and relationships are fundamental to safe, high-quality teaching.
Protecting learners, supporting high-quality teaching, and maintaining public confidence in teaching, remain at the heart of our work.
