Modifications to ACECQA’s supervised professional experience requirements

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been significant for our sector, with service providers doing their utmost to support children, families and staff under challenging and changeable operating conditions.

Despite their best efforts, many service providers have been unable to support student placements, with higher education institutes and students also indicating that they are unable to facilitate and undertake scheduled placements. This has had, and will continue to have, a significant impact on pre-service early childhood teachers (ECTs), with considerable backlogs of pre-service student placements being reported.

In recognition of these extraordinary circumstances and to minimise the impact on workforce supply, the ACECQA Board agreed to modify the supervised professional experience requirements for final year students in 2020 as follows:

Supervised professional experience requirements

Undergraduate ECT programs must include at least 30 days of supervised professional experience in early childhood settings, including a minimum of 10 days with children aged birth to under 3 years old (0 – 35 months).
Postgraduate ECT programs must include at least 20 days of supervised professional experience in early childhood settings, including a minimum of 10 days with children aged birth to under 3 years old (0 – 35 months).

Please note that pre-service ECTs must still fulfil all required course outcomes, including any state and territory teacher regulatory authority and skilled migration requirements relating to supervised professional experience days.

Please also note that we expect higher education institutes to facilitate placements for pre-service ECTs where and when possible and appropriate. The impact of the global pandemic in Australia, as well as the associated restrictions resulting from it, has varied over time and across the country.

In lieu of traditional placements, we also expect higher education institutes to conduct other meaningful forms of technology and scenario based assessment, such as tele-presence, simulations and work-integrated placements.

For final year students in 2021 and 2022, the ACECQA Board has agreed to allow higher education institutes to apply to ACECQA on an extenuating circumstances basis and demonstrate the extended need for the modifications.

The application form to request an extension to the modified supervised professional experience requirements for final year students in 2021 and 2022 can be found here.

Supervised professional experience remains a vital component of initial teacher education, allowing pre-service teachers to develop and demonstrate their skills in a real life environment. In its deliberations, the ACECQA Board focused on achieving a balance between a practical and pragmatic response to a public health emergency without unduly compromising quality standards.