Limited Authority to Teach
The purpose of a limited authority to teach is stated in section 130A of the Act:
"Where any person has skills that are appropriate to advance the learning of a student or group of students in any particular institution, but who may not have a specific qualification normally associated with teaching, and provided that person meets the tests set out in section 130B of this act. That person shall on application to the NZ Teachers Council, be granted a limited authority to teach".
The intent of the Act is to ensure that:
- all persons having contact with students in an instructional capacity should be of good character and fit to be a teacher and likely to be a satisfactory teacher, and
- that school authorities and kindergarten management wishing to employ people with particular skills and experience can do so.
Applying for a Limited Authority to Teach (LAT)
A limited authority to teach (an authority) is applied for by the person needing it, on an application form available from the NZ Teachers Council. The application must be endorsed by the principal of a school (or senior teacher of a kindergarten) (s130C) wishing to employ the person. The need for certain staff to have an authority should be anticipated in advance and an application made before it is needed. Where an authorised teacher is to be employed in several schools (e.g. as an itinerant teacher) the endorsement is made by a principal or senior teacher who will be responsible for the performance appraisal.
The NZ Teachers Council will not grant an authority to a person who is eligible for registration, but will require them to apply for registration.
A LAT is NOT a form of registration. It is an authority for a specified person to teach in a specified school/centre in a temporary capacity. Limited Authorities may be used to cover teaching positions of a variety of roles. They should only be used in the case where a registered teacher cannot be found for the specific role.
LATs are granted for people who will hold a prime responsibility for the planning, implementation, assessment, evaluation and reporting of a sequential programme with a student or group of students (over the period of the contract), within a particular school/centre. LATs are not for people working as teacher aides, kaiarahi i te reo/kaiawhina or other such support roles. These are not teaching positions.
The NZ Teachers Council will only consider an application for a LAT when the application is supported by the professional leader of the school/centre intending to employ the applicant. A LAT is not transferable. It can only be used within the school/centre for the position for which it was granted, except where the position involves an itinerating role and then it is only for the schools/centres named on the approval letter. In such circumstances the LAT must be applied for at a designated home school/centre and all other schools/centres at which the position applies must be listed on the application.
Duration
The policy has three categories of LATs which can be granted, each with a different length of time being authorised. Most will be for up to one year, but in some special cases, a LAT may be issued for two or three years. Once a person finishes their term of employment the LAT will lapse. A LAT would not be issued for a time period beyond the length of the fixed term employment agreement that an individual has with the employing school/centre for the specific teaching position. For further information see the LAT (2007) Policy on this website.
The schedule of fees for a limited authority to teach (from September 2007)
There is a specific criteria to be met see LAT policy;
- $40 for up to a 1 year LAT
- $80 for up to a 2 year LAT
- $120 for up to a 3 year LAT
A TC4 application form for a Limited Authority to Teach can be downloaded here
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