Teachers Registration Board of the Northern Territory
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Edition 4, October 2011

This is the fourth edition of the TRB Update for 2011. If you know a teacher who has not received an email from the Board, please encourage them to advise us of their current contact details.

Registration statistics

Currently, 6263 teachers are registered with the Teacher Registration Board. Of this number, 529 are provisionally registered teachers; 5734 fully registered teachers.

Payment of annual fee

All registered teachers with a financial expiry date of 31 December 2011 will receive an email from the Board in the coming weeks advising them that their annual payment fee is due. This year, hardcopies of the annual payment form will not be sent via Australia Post. Instead, a PDF version of the form can be downloaded from the TRB website for teachers to complete. Alternatively, as in 2010, teachers have the option of paying their annual fee online.

Information sessions for provisionally registered teachers

Provisionally registered teachers are supported by three Information Sessions to assist them in transitioning to Full Registration. Information Sessions 1 and 2 have been well attended and Information Session 3 is about to commence and provides essential information on the panel assessment process, the assessment conversation and completing Form D: Application from Provisionally Registered Teachers Applying for Full Registration in the Northern Territory. Provisionally registered teachers who are likely to apply for Full Registration this year are required to attend. Members of the assessment panel are strongly encouraged to attend in order to be clear about the processes and requirements panel meeting.

Professional Conduct Reference Committee

At its 1 September meeting, the Teacher Registration Board endorsed the establishment of a Professional Conduct Reference Committee. The Committee facilitates the exchange of information between teachers, employer groups and the Board on issues pertaining to Part 6 of the Teacher Registration (Northern Territory) Act and will provide advice to the Board on topics such as: complaints, preliminary investigations, inquiries, policy development and amendments, legislation amendments, risk management and the professional conduct of teachers. The Committee will also identify gaps in professional development for new and experienced teachers in relation to teacher professional conduct. Another important role of the Committee is to advise the Board on how best to maintain the Code of Ethics for Northern Territory Teachers. The ongoing maintenance of the Code by the profession provides a means of clearly identifying and communicating the core values that underpin the professional standards for teaching.

Nationally consistent registration practices

Australian Ministers for Education endorsed a nationally consistent approach to teacher registration on 14 October 2011. This followed extensive input from the teacher regulatory authorities across Australia. The nationally consistent approach includes a set of elements that will be common to the registration processes and requirements of each state and territory within Australia. The elements include:

  • requirements for initial registration
  • change in registration status
  • renewal of registration
  • discipline and de-registration
  • suitability to teach
  • English language proficiency
  • mutual recognition

A series of stakeholder and teacher consultations will take place in 2012 to outline the transition process in the Northern Territory. It is important to note that NO changes have been automatically effected to current registration requirements or processes. Future Updates will feature information about the transition arrangements for the NT.

Changes to the online search the register

The online search has been amended to include a teacher’s category of registration (either Provisional or Full Registration). The online search is a useful tool for teachers, principals and employers to check current registration details, especially to determine the financial expiry date.

Updating your personal details

Communication with registered teachers is critical and the TRB’s communication with teachers is only as effective as the contact details kept by the Board. Under the provisions of the Teacher Registration (Northern Territory) Act, registered teachers must notify the Board, in writing, within 90 days of changing their:

  • name;
  • other personal details (including all contact details – postal address, email and telephone/mobile number)
  • business address, being the address at which the registered teacher is teaching (i.e. the name of the school)

Any change of name advice must be accompanied by evidence (e.g. certified copy of Marriage Certificate or change of name document).