Accreditation

To support teachers in Catholic schools, the Victorian Catholic Education Authority (VCEA) requires them to be accredited in line with the VCEA Accreditation Policy: 

• Accreditation Standards for Staff in Victorian Catholic Schools

Teachers in Catholic schools play an essential part in seeking to ensure that students experience a quality education, and are invited to encounter God and develop their knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic faith and tradition.

The accreditation process aims to support teachers entering and continuing service in Catholic education to develop the knowledge and skills that will support authentic witness in and across all Victorian Catholic schools.

There are two levels of accreditation in recognition of the different roles that teachers undertake:

Level 1 Accreditation to Teach in a Catholic School 

Level 2 Accreditation to Teach Religious Education or Lead in a Catholic school

All secondary school teachers are required to gain and maintain Level 1 Accreditation to Teach in a Catholic School (as a minimum).

All primary school teachers are required to gain and maintain Level 2 Accreditation to Teach Religious Education or Lead in a Catholic School.

All staff who hold a substantive position as Principal, Deputy Principal, any position with Principal Adjunct in the title, or leaders with responsibility for Religious Education, Catholic Identity and Mission (by whatever title) in a Victorian Catholic school are required to have or be working toward Level 2 Accreditation to Teach Religious Education or Lead in a Catholic School.

Level 1 Accreditation to teach in a Catholic School:

• is gained by undertaking at least 25 hours of accreditable professional learning, with a minimum of 5 hours in each accreditation category

• is maintained by undertaking at least 25 hours of accreditable professional learning over a 5-year period, with a minimum of 5 hours in each accreditation category.

Level 2 Accreditation to teach Religious Education or Lead in a Catholic school:

• is gained by formal assessed tertiary study with a minimum of 4 units6 in Religious Education, Theology or Catholic leadership, or successful completion of an approved non-credentialed course. A minimum of 10 hours in each accreditation category is required.

• is maintained by undertaking at least 50 hours over 5 years, with a minimum of 10 hours in each accreditation category.

Accreditation Categories

The following categories apply to gaining and maintaining Level 1 Accreditation to Teach in a Catholic School, and maintaining Level 2 Accreditation to Teach Religious Education or Lead in a Catholic School.

a) The aims and objectives of the Catholic school

b) Catholic curriculum꙳, Religious Education and faith development

c) Catholic identity, culture, tradition and theology (including prayer, liturgy, scripture and Catholic social teaching).

꙳ ‘Catholic Curriculum’ refers to the Catholic context and teachings related to learning areas other than Religious Education (e.g. Catholic teaching on bio-ethics in relation to the Science curriculum).