Policy
Transitional measures to support Victoria’s Activity Group Leaders
Freya Lucas
Aug 26, 2021
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Early childhood service providers in Victoria who currently run an unfunded three-year-old program with a Diploma qualified Activity Group Leader (AGL), may wish to opt into the transitional arrangement to retain their AGL to deliver the funded three-year-old kindergarten program for one year (i.e. until the end of 2022), the Early Learning Association of Australia (ELAA) has said.
At the end of the transition year, this arrangement can continue if the AGL is enrolled and actively working towards a Bachelor-level qualification in early childhood teaching. AGLs will be expected to demonstrate their ongoing progress through their studies, including being at least 50 per cent of the way through their course three years after commencement.To be eligible, services will need to meet the following criteria:
- have employed the AGL under that classification in either the VECTEA, EEEA or equivalent prior to November 2020;
- be delivering a funded three-year-old kindergarten program;
- all other staffing requirements under the NQF are being met within the service; and,
- have adequate supports in place for the AGL, such as mentoring support of the teacher at the service (likely leading the four-year-old program) and/or professional development.
In instances where the service has a surplus of funding due to the difference in salary costs for employing an AGL rather than a teacher, services use this funding on supports for their AGL (e.g. professional development, study leave or mentoring time release). To opt-in to the transition arrangement for AGLs, please contact your lead DET Early Childhood Improvement Branch.
From 2022, AGLs employed to lead a funded three-year-old kindergarten program will be paid Level 1.1 Teacher salary under VECTEA or EEEA (or equivalent) for the duration of the transitional year and following years of their study. Where an AGL is being paid less than a Level 1.1 Teacher salary under the VECTEA or EEEA (or equivalent), services will be required to put the difference in funding they receive from DET towards professional development for the AGL and/or mentoring time release for the supporting teacher at the service.
Any questions, feedback or requests for further advice on a specific application of this policy, should be emailed to the three-year-old kindergarten inbox: 3YO.Kindergarten@education.vic.gov.au
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