An exciting milestone in your teaching career is when you transition from provisional to full certification.
Being a fully registered and certificated teacher shows employers, whānau and the wider community that you are trained and qualified, have undertaken an Induction and Mentoring Programme, and meet Our Code, Our Standards.
You’ll be ready to apply for full certification when you have:
- been employed as a teacher – not a teacher aide or a volunteer worker – at an ECE centre, kōhanga reo, school or kura kaupapa Māori for a minimum of two years
- been employed in a teaching position of at least 0.5 Full Time Teacher Equivalent (FTTE) for blocks of six weeks or more over that time
- participated in an induction programme being mentored and supported by a fully certificated mentor teacher for at least two years
- have completed satisfactory recent teaching experience
- have the support of your mentor teacher and a professional leader (i.e: centre manager or principal) who is willing to vouch that you’re ready to become fully certificated. The Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand is the organisation which issues provisional and full practicing certificates. They have information about becoming fully certificated, including the online processes involved.
If you’re about to become a fully certificated teacher, congratulations! NZEI Te Riu Roa branches run local celebrations at the end of each year to acknowledge the mahi done by beginning kaiako as they gain full certification.