ITE emergency response policy

The post-COVID environment

During the COVID-era of 2020-2022 the Council created a policy that enabled providers to inform the Council about temporary changes to their programmes which were required in response to the pandemic. All temporary changes approved under this policy expired on 31 December 2021.

The below information is the post-COVID emergency response approach for 2023 onwards. 

Emergency Response Policy Update - 2023

In response to the impact of recent weather events and a national state of emergency being declared, the Governing Council has considered an approach to requests for temporary programme changes that will hopefully enable a streamlined temporary change approval process in the future. The approach is intended to enable students to be able to complete their studies, without compromising the high standards required of entry into the profession.

Since 2019 the Governing Council must consult with the Minister before making changes to policy for Initial Teacher Education or registration. Following work with the Education Minister’s office and our Governing Council, the emergency policy changes have been approved. This means that many of the proposals that you have previously applied in response to our 2019-22 COVID Temporary Change Policy will be able to be approved as emergency response temporary changes for current programmes.

Please see the ITE Emergency Response Policy for a detailed description of the Emergency Response Policy. This information and related Temporary Emergency Response Programme Change application form was emailed out to ITE provider leads on 14 March 2023.

Research has shown us the importance of effective practical experience. So, the policy includes flexible and pragmatic options that ensure graduates’ preparedness to teach but that consider the current unprecedented reality of schools, centres and kura being impacted so severely by weather events such as the flooding in Auckland and Cyclone Gabrielle. 

As with the previous temporary programme changes for the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no consideration given for an overall reduction in professional experience placements. 

Any programme changes made under the new policy will be temporary. It is an expectation of the Teaching Council that programmes will revert to previously approved settings at the earliest possible date. 

The Emergency Response Policy enables providers to advise us of temporary programme changes they are seeking approval to implement in an emergency. These are based around a specified set of changes which enable an emergency response to be informed by the settings agreed to in the first instance. 

Please complete this Temporary Emergency Response Programme Change application form  and send to iteadmin@teachingcouncil.nz and cc your Lead Advisor.