ECE Support Grant for Provisionally Registered Teachers (ECE PRT Support Grant)
Budget 2013 Update
The Provisionally Registered Teacher (PRT) grants were established to provide support to provisionally registered teachers to gain full registration. The last PRT grants were paid on 15 April this year. This has been successful, with registered teachers growing significantly since the introduction of the grant. This grant is therefore discontinued.
Services in need of support may be able to seek support through the Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities 2013-2015 Professional Development Programme, which includes the Service Performance Fund.
More information about the Strengthening Early Learning Opportunities 2013-2015 Programme can be found inthe Recent Announcements section of this website.
Background
The ECE Support Grant for PRTs, introduced in 2005, helps teacher-led ECE services to support their provisionally registered teachers to become fully registered.
Provisionally registered teachers are teachers who:
- hold the Diploma of Teaching (ECE) or another New Zealand Teachers Council approved ECE qualification and
- hold a New Zealand Teachers Council practising certificate that indicates they are provisionally registered as teachers.
Targeting of the ECE Support Grant for PRTs
The Government is committed to quality ECE. Qualified and registered teachers play an important role in this. The Government has a target of 80% qualified and registered ECE teachers in teacher-led, centre-based ECE services by 2012. The regulated minimum requirement is 50% qualified and registered teachers.
The Government wants to ensure all children and families can access quality ECE services in all areas of New Zealand. The priority is to improve participation in quality ECE among Māori children, Pasifika children, and children from low socio-economic families.
In line with this priority the ECE Support Grant for PRTs has been targeted towards services that have the greatest need for Government assistance.
The ECE Support Grant for PRTs provides funding to ECE services to support their Provisionally Registered Teachers to gain full registration.
More than two thirds of teacher-led, centre based ECE services already meet the 80% target for registered teachers. However, some ECE services still have low numbers of registered teachers and will struggle to meet the 80% target. Many of these services are in lower socio-economic areas, with high proportions of Māori and Pasifika children.
ECE services funded below 80% registered teachers are eligible to receive the ECE Support Grant for PRTs. ECE services funded for more than 80% registered teachers are not eligible for the grant. This is to ensure Government assistance makes the biggest difference for those children that need it the most. Government support will be targeted at services with the greatest need for qualified teachers.
Purpose
The purpose of the ECE Support Grant for PRTs is to assist ECE services to fund induction and mentoring programmes, which support ECE PRTs to reach full registration.
Eligible ECE services and PRTs
- ECE services funded at below 80% registered teachers can apply for the ECE Support Grant for PRTs.
- ECE service eligibility for the ECE Support Grant for PRTs will be determined by the funding band at which the ECE service’s advanced funding is paid, at July (for October round) or November (for January/February round).
- ECE PRTs who registered on or after 1 July 2010, and who are employed at an eligible ECE service, will be eligible to apply for the ECE Support Grant for PRTs.
- ECE services that are funded at the 80% + registered teacher rate and PRTs in these services are not eligible for the ECE PRT Support Grant for PRTs.