ECE Support Grant for Provisionally Registered Teachers (ECE PRT Support Grant)

Applications for January-June 2012 Grant Round are now closed

Please send any questions via email to ECE.PRTGrant@minedu.govt.nz or ring Kellie Lumsden at 04 463 8000.

Background

The ECE PRT Support Grant, 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-income families.

In line with this priority the ECE Support Grant for Provisionally Registered Teachers (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.

The ECE Support Grant for PRTs is now allocated through an application-based process, instead of through the ECE service’s RS7 funding form.

Purpose

The purpose of the ECE Support Grant for PRTs is to assist ECE services to fund advice and guidance 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.

Information on the ECE Support Grant for PRTs can be found in the Conditions and Guidance [PDF; 65kb] and FAQs [PDF; 65kb] that are available in the download section on this page.