Educator fakes ECT qualification to secure higher wages

Freya Lucas

Oct 02, 2023

Save

An early childhood educator has faced court in Brisbane, pleading guilty to using a forged document to obtain employment as an early childhood teacher (ECT) with a major Australian early childhood education and care (ECEC) provider.

The woman purchased a fake degree and academic transcripts online which were presented during a three stage interview process to her new employer, where she worked for 18 months, earning an additional $39,000 over and above what she was entitled to with her actual educator qualification.

Her offending was uncovered when a check of multiple teachers' qualifications by the Queensland Department of Education took place, during which time it was identified that no graduate with this woman’s name was listed in the relevant University’s records, and that the student ID number on the qualifications did not exist.

Once her employer was notified her employment was terminated. She then made herself known to police in relation to the offences.

She was charged with uttering a forged document with intent to defraud and dishonestly gaining a pecuniary benefit as an employee of at least $30,000.

The judge hearing the case described the offending as serious, with a maximum available penalty of 14 years' imprisonment. Despite the seriousness of the offence the judge noted that the defendant was “genuinely remorseful” in part due to her reporting her own offending to police.

The defendant was sentenced to two years' jail, wholly suspended for four years and was ordered to complete her repayments to her previous employer.

Don’t miss a thing

Childcare centres may have clear rules for staff numbers, but there are loopholes to get around them

There is a growing number of “serious incidents” in Australian early childhood services, including day cares.

What Can Australia Learn from Ontario’s Child Care Ratios?

As workforce pressures continue to shape early childhood education and care (ECEC) policy discussions in Australia, international comparisons provide useful perspectives. Canada’s approach, particularly in Ontario, offers a case study in how educator-to-child ratios, maximum group sizes and qualification requirements can be legislated as an integrated framework.

Burnout in early childhood education: Why leadership support is the missing lever

Early childhood educators have one of the most important jobs in Australia. We trust them to keep our kids safe, to educate them in their most formative years, and to care for them when we can’t do it ourselves. And far too often, educators are doing it all on empty.

Workforce planning in ECEC: from compliance requirement to strategic advantage

With workforce pressures continuing across early childhood education and care (ECEC), a structured approach to workforce planning is emerging as a critical leadership tool, not simply an administrative exercise.

National Early Childhood Worker Register: commencing 27 February 2026

The introduction of the National Early Childhood Worker Register from the 27 February, has signalled a significant shift in workforce oversight across early childhood education and care (ECEC).