Welcome to the first edition of Registration Buzz for 2024.

Firstly, we are pleased to announce two new board appointments for the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia (TRBSA). We congratulate and welcome Dr Susan Raymond and Ms Lynne Rutherford as new members of the Board for a term that commenced on 14 March 2024.

Dr Susan Raymond has had a long and dedicated career as a leader in the education sector. With too many academic achievements to mention, she is currently a Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Australia, as well as the Curriculum Lead (early Childhood), Integration Management Team, for the new Adelaide University. She has held many other leadership positions across the sector and her knowledge and experience are a welcome addition to the Board.

As the Chief Executive Officer of Gowrie SA, Lynne Rutherford’s career in education spans many decades. Her passion for early childhood education has been unwavering and her commitment to continuous learning and improvement is evident in her impressive background highlighted by a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education), Bachelor of Early Childhood Education, Graduate Certificate in Education and a Master of Education (Leadership) with Distinction. She is also a current PhD candidate. Like Susan, Lynne’s knowledge and experience will be highly valued.

Both Susan and Lynne will be serving as members of the Board through to 13 March 2027, pursuant to provisions of the Teachers Registration and Standards Act 2004.

We welcome both new board members and look forward to working with them in their new roles.

This time of year sees the end of the very busy registration period for all teachers, and our Board staff, with the annual registration renewal period that opened in October (for teachers whose registration was due to expire) coming to a close. In addition to this, there are also several other important items for noting, such as expiring Working with Children Checks and changes to the collection of records of completion for Mandatory Notification Training.

In 2019, stronger, more effective and transparent screening laws came into effect in South Australia, requiring people who work or volunteer in child-related roles to have a Working with Children Check (WWCC).

If your Working With Children Check expires in the next six months, it’s time to apply again.

There’s also been a change in the process of providing evidence of Mandatory Notification Training to the TRB. From the 21st of March 2024, changes to the South Australia Teachers Registration and Standards Regulations 2021 mean that the requirement for the TRB to collect proof showing the completion of a mandatory notification course (e.g. RRHAN-EC) for teachers registering or renewing, and Special Authority holders, has been removed.

There is more information on both of those topics, later in this Buzz.

As we move towards June and July, these are also busy months at the Board as we tackle the end of one financial year and the beginning of a new one.

We look forward to working with you all throughout 2024.