New South Wales Consolidated Regulations

EDUCATION AND CARE SERVICES NATIONAL REGULATIONS - REG 324

324 Early childhood teachers--preschools

(1) This regulation applies in place of regulation 126 for preschools.

(3) On and after 1 January 2014--

(a) the first and second educators required to meet the educator to child ratio for preschool aged children in a government preschool (other than a prescribed preschool) must be early childhood teachers; and

(b) any other educators who are required to meet the educator to child ratio for preschool aged children in a government preschool (other than a prescribed preschool) must have, or be actively working towards, at least an approved certificate III level education and care qualification.

(4) On and after 1 January 2014--

(a) the first and third educators required to meet the educator to child ratio for preschool aged children in a prescribed preschool must be early childhood teachers; and

(b) any other educators who are required to meet the educator to child ratio for preschool aged children in a prescribed preschool must have, or be actively working towards, at least an approved certificate III level education and care qualification.

(4A) If an early childhood teacher is absent from a preschool because of a circumstance specified in subregulation (4C), the following persons may be taken for the purposes of this regulation to be an early childhood teacher during that absence--

(a) a person who holds an approved diploma level education and care qualification;

(b) a person who holds a qualification in primary teaching;

(c) a suitably qualified person.

(4B) To avoid doubt, subregulation (4A) does not apply in case of a period of leave exceeding 12 weeks.

(4C) For the purposes of subregulation (4A), the following circumstances are specified--

(a) short-term illness;

(b) the early childhood teacher's resignation;

(c) a practicum placement required to be undertaken by the early childhood teacher for an approved education and care qualification;

(d) leave.

(5) In this regulation--

"prescribed preschool" means--

(a) a preschool provided by a school on the site of a school; or

(b) a rural preschool; or

(c) a preschool with fewer than 16 children.