With most early childhood services unable to support student placements at this time and higher education institutes are unable to organise scheduled placements, this has a significant impact on final year ECT students who are almost at the completion of their degree.
The ACECQA board has modified the supervisor professional experience requirements, to support final year students to complete their degree during these circumstances, as follows:
Undergraduate ECT programs must include at least 30 days of supervised professional experience in early childhood settings, including a minimum of 10 days with children aged birth to under 3 years old (0 – 35 months).
Postgraduate ECT programs must include at least 20 days of supervised professional experience in early childhood settings, including a minimum of 10 days with children aged birth to under 3 years old (0 – 35 months).
This decision is similar to modifications being implemented by many state and territory teacher regulatory authorities.
It is important that final year ECT students continue to fulfil all required course outcomes, including any state and territory teacher regulatory authority and skilled migration requirements relating to supervised professional experience days.
ACECQA expects the higher education institutes to facilitate placements where and when possible and appropriate and if that's not possible to conduct other meaningful forms of technology and scenario-based assessment, such as telepresence, simulations and work-integrated placements.
Supervised professional experience remains a vital component of initial teacher education, allowing pre-service teachers to develop and demonstrate their skills in a real-life education and care environment.
Reference:
Update To Supervised Professional placement experience requirements, ACECQA Newsletter Issue 5 2020, 28 May 2020
