New educators with no qualifications can be counted in ratio in SA, Ed Council says

The Education Council has agreed to a South Australian-specific amendment to the Education and Care Services National Regulations, which will enable new educators without an approved qualification to be included in educator to child ratios.

Information about the changes was communicated by ACECQA through their newsletter, distributed this morning, with the specifics as follows: 

New educators without an approved qualification working at a centre-based service (that educates and cares for children preschool age or under) are to be counted as a Certificate III qualified educator for the purposes of educator-to-child ratios for a three-month probationary period.

The changes will also allow a 1:11 educator/child ratio in all South Australian centre-based services for children over 36 months of up age, up to and including preschool age.

No changes are applicable for children of the same age in different settings, such as government approved preschools. 

Providers across the sector can maintain existing requirements through service policy and operational decisions, AECEQA said, noting that confirmation of the commencement date will be communicated in next month’s ACECQA newsletter.

Further information about the changes can be found by contacting the South Australian regulatory authority, the Education and Standards Board, via email to [email protected]