Registration and certification policy

Download a digital copy of the "Requirements for Teacher Registration, Practising Certificates, and Limited Authority to Teach" policy, here.

The Requirements for Teacher Registration, Practising Certificates and Limited Authority to Teach Policy (Registration Policy) supports quality teaching, learning and leadership.

The policy has been recently updated (July 2022) to reflect changes arising from the introduction of a new fee and levy on 11 July 2022. The change updates references to the fee to now refer to the fee and levy.

The policy recognises the expertise of professional leaders to be responsible when making judgements about individual teacher applications for practising certificates, while at the same time preserves the reputation of the profession and focuses on building capacity. Of course, Our Code, Our Standards | Ngā Tikanga Matatika, Ngā Paerewa sits at the heart of it.

In the policy you can find in-depth details about the requirements for becoming a teacher, for example, what it means to:

• be satisfactorily trained to teach
• be of good character and fitness
• meet the Standards | Ngā Paerewa 
• have a high standard of English or te reo Māori competency
• have satisfactory recent teaching experience

The policy came into effect in April 2020. All applications for registration, practising certificates and Limited Authority to Teach are processed using the policy. The new policy was borne out of a review in 2017 following the launch of Our Code, Our Standards | Ngā Tikanga Matatika, Ngā Paerewa because they are the foundation for teacher registration and certification.

The policy replaced the previous Interim Teacher Registration, Practising Certificates and Limited Authority to Teach Policy.