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Registration process

What happens when a registration application is made to the Board?

The Board receives over 1000 applications for registration every year, well over half of which are received between November and February.

The process for assessing an application is rigorous. The Board must ensure that only persons of good character, who meet the qualifications requirements, are registered to teach in the Northern Territory. In this way the Board protects the professional status of teaching.

There are two processes for managing applications received by the Board depending on whether the application is made under the mutual recognition principle or the Teacher Registration (Northern Territory) Act.

Applications received under the Teacher Registration (NT) Act

The following process is applied:

  • The application is date stamped.
  • The application is checked to ensure that it is complete and the documentation provided is valid and correctly certified.
  • Priority is given to assessing complete applications.
  • If the application is incomplete, the applicant is advised by email of the outstanding documentation and no further assessment is made of the application until it is complete.
  • Criminal History Record Checks normally are sent to the Board from the issuing authority and once received, are matched with the application.
  • Once a complete application is received, the application is assessed to ensure the requirements for registration are met.
  • the applicant is advised by email that the application for registration is complete and will be considered at the next meeting of the Board.
  • If the applicant has applied for interim registration, and is entitled to registration, he or she will be advised by email that Interim Registration has been granted to the next Board meeting.
  • At the next Board meeting, the Board will grant registration to applications entitled to registration.
  • The day after the Board meeting, the applicants details will be included on the Register of Teachers and the registration card is issued.
  • Receipts for registration fees are issued by the receiver of Territory Monies, not the office of the Board.

How long should an application take to process?

When a complete application is received, processing and assessing the application is usually completed within 2 to 3 weeks.

The most common cause of delays in processing applications result from the applicants not providing the documentation required for a complete application or incorrectly filling out the application form. Registration officers do not assess the applications until a complete application is received.

A complete application must include a current Criminal History Record Check (CHRC). A current CHRC is one that has been issued within four weeks prior to the date on which the application is lodged. Depending on workloads of the issuing authority, Criminal History Record Checks can take up to six weeks and sometimes longer to reach the Board. Applicants for registration and employers should factor in potential delays in issuing Criminal History Record Checks in planning employment starting dates.

Applications for registration from teachers who have overseas qualifications normally will take substantially longer to process. The Board has a limited capacity to assess overseas qualifications and related documents. Referrals to other jurisdictions to tap into expertise significantly delays processing such applications. It is not unusual for overseas applications to take at least eight to ten weeks to process.

To assist the application process for new graduates the TRB has an arrangement with Charles Darwin University to transfer academic transcripts electronically to the TRB.

Registration officers communicate with applicants at all stages of the process to ensure that the application may be approved as quickly as possible. Email is the preferred mode of communication and applicants are encouraged to check their emails regularly.

Applications received under the Mutual Recognition Principle

Over half the applications the Board receives are made under the Mutual Recognition Principle.

Mutual Recognition applications can be processed more quickly than applications made under the Teacher Registration Act. The Board must verify the teacher has registration in the state of origin, and confirm there are no outstanding disciplinary proceedings or conditions attached to the applicant's registration.

The following process is applied strictly in order of receipt of the application:

  • The application is date stamped.
  • The application is checked to ensure that it is complete and the documentation provided is valid and correctly certified.
  • Priority if given to processing and assessing complete applications.
  • If the application is incomplete, the applicant is advised by email of the outstanding documentation and no further processing of the application takes place until a complete application has been received.
  • Once a complete application is received, the TRB verifies the applicant’s registration with the authority in the state of origin (the First State).
  • Once that verification is received, the Director signs off the application for registration.
  • The applicant is advised by email that they are registered to teach in the Northern Territory and the teacher is entered on the Register of Teachers.
  • Registration certificates are posted to teachers newly registered under the Mutual Recognition Principle each Friday.
  • At the next meeting of the Teacher Registration Board, the Board notes those teachers who have been granted registration under the Mutual Recognition Principle.
  • Receipts for registration fees are issued by the Receiver of Territory Monies, not by the Office of the Board.

In most cases delays which occur in the processing of an application result from the applicant not providing complete information eg missing documents or documents not correctly certified. In these circumstances the Board cannot assess the applicant's eligibility for registration. If the application is not complete, the applicant will receive an email detailing the information that has been omitted.

In the busy recruiting periods, all registration boards are pressed and inevitably there are delays in the verification of registrations. All staff in all jurisdictions understand the implications of delays in verification and there are high levels of cooperation across the jurisdictions.

The office aims to process complete applications received under the Mutual Recognition Principle within 7 to 10 working days of being received by the TRB office.