Welcome to the NQF e-bulletin, the department’s e-newsletter to support early childhood education
and care services to implement the National Quality Framework.

New qualification decisions from ACECQA
Recognising educators in centre-based services

The Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) has announced changes that clarify when educators can be recognised as early childhood teachers (ECT) and Diploma level educators. These changes relate to centre-based services with children under school age (primarily long day care and kindergarten services).

Registered primary teachers

Registered primary qualified teachers are now taken to be a qualified ECT:

  • if they hold an approved Diploma level qualification or higher. The approved ECT qualifications list has been updated.
  • as soon as they enrol and startstudying towards an approved Diploma level qualification or higher.

The decision by ACECQA will mean the Early Childhood Education and Care Bridging Programcancontinue after 2013 as a pathway towards an approved Diploma for registered primary teachers in Queensland.

From 1 January 2016, educators will need to have completed an approved ECTqualification to be considered a qualified ECT. The ACECQA decision recognising registered primary teachers with approved Diplomas will be reviewed in 2016.

Working towards an ECT qualification

Educators who do not already hold an approved qualification can be counted as an approved Certificate III level educator (for ratio purposes) as soon as they enrol and start studying towards an approved ECT qualification.

Services have been asking when educators studying towards an approved ECT qualification can be counted as a Diploma holder (for ratio purposes). ACECQA has now clarified that educators can be counted as Diploma holders once they have completed 30% of the units in an approved ECT qualification.

Working towards the new Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care

ACECQA has identified 11 units of competency in the new Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care (CHC50113) as equivalent to a Certificate III. This allows educators studying the new Diploma who don’t hold a Certificate III, to be counted as an approved Diploma level educator (for ratio purposes) once they have completed these units of competency.

More information

  • Work through our Certificate III and Diploma flow charts
  • Work through our early childhood teacher flow chart
  • Visit

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