Edition 2, November 2005
Renewal of registration
Registration renewal notices were sent to all registered teachers in September. If your registration expires on 3 I December 2005 and you have not received a renewal notice, please contact the Board as a matter of urgency.
Teachers can elect to register for up to five years. In the first year of registration approximately 80% of teachers elected to register for one year. A similar pattern of payment is emerging this year with some teachers opting to pay for two to five years but the majority choosing to register for one year.
The response to renewal notices has been good with the majority of teachers responding by 31 October.
The Teacher Registration Board is keen to see all renewals completed and certificates sent to teachers before the end of the school year. Failure to renew before the expiry date may mean that teachers are required to submit a new application form and pay for a new Criminal History Record Check.
A copy of the renewal form is available on the Teacher Registration Board website.
Changes to the Board membership
The Minister for Education has recentlyappointed two new members to the Teacher Registration Board following the resignation of Iris Yee and the replacement of Andrew Foster.
New members are:
- Professor David Lynch nominated by Charles Darwin University until October 2006;
- Ms Elsabe Batt nominated by the Independent Education Union until October 2008.
The Board welcomes both new members and looks forward to working with them during their terms of appointment.
Visit by the Victorian Institute of Teaching
The Board recently hosted a visit to Darwin by Andrew Lus, Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Institute of Teaching, and Geoff Emmett, Group Manager, Standards and Professional Learning Victorian Institute of Teaching.
Andrew and Geoff generously gave their time to assist the Board with the consultation process in developing professional standards. In two, well attended workshops they led a discussion on the use of professional standards and the links with professional learning for teachers based on the very successful Victorian model. The Board is indebted to Andrew and Geoff for their interest, support and time.
Closure of the Office of the Board
The office of the Teacher Registration Board will be closed between Christmas and New Year.
Office Hours: 8.00am - 4.30pm
Pho ne: 08 8999 5964
Fax: 08 8999 5843
Professional Standards for Teaching in the Northern Territory
In June this year twenty classroom teachers met for two, one-day workshops to prepare a draft statement of professional standards. These are now available on the Teacher Registration Board website at www.trb.nt.gov.au
The working party is seeking comment on the draft and has sought responses through limited trial implementation s, school workshops and online.
There is still time for individuals and groups to respond to the draft. Please email comments to trb@nt.gov.au
Statistics at a Glance
Applications for Registration
- 2 June – 141
- 14 October – 205
- 4 August – 150
Scheduled Board meetings
The schedule of Board Meeting Dates for 2006 are as follows:
- 19 January 2006
- 2 February 2006
- 2 March 2006
- 6 April 2006
- 25 May 2006
- 15 June 2006
- 3 August 2006
- 7 September 2006
- 19 October 2006
- 24 November 2006
Annual Report
The Teacher Registration Board Annual Report to the Minister has been submitted and will soon be available on the Board's website. It provides a comprehensive overview of the teaching workforce in the Northern Territory.
Ethics statement
During the process of drafting profess ion al standards for teaching in the Northern Territory, it became evident that the standards should be underpinned by a set of values. The teaching profession is unique in that it has eclectic responsibilities through relationships with students, parents, colleagues and the wider community and teachers need to be explicitly aware of these responsibilities and exposed positions. It was decided that the following statement would be published as part of the professional standards. A comprehensive statement of ethics will be prepared once the standards have been published.
Teaching is a moral craft and teachers have to make ethical decisions daily. The maintenance of a code of ethics will provide a means of clearly identifying the values and communicating those values to both teachers and the community. As a code of ethics for Territory teachers will not be written until after the development of professional standards, there is a need to indicate in broad terms the core values that underlie the professional standards. These are stated below.
- Northern Territory Standards of Professional Practice for Teachers are based on a commitment to learners, to the profession and the community
- Teachers accept the responsibility to provide meaningful learning experiences to students in their care in the belief that all students have the capacity and the right to learn.