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The history of teacher registration in Victoria

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If you are looking for information on current teacher registration, see Register to teach on the VIT website.

Overview

Today, all Victorian teachers must register with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT). Registration shows they are:

In the past, things were different. For much of Victoria’s history, there was no official registration system and few rules about who could teach.

Before registration – classification of teachers

1856 saw the introduction of a classification system for teachers. It lasted, with many changes, until 1981.

The Committees of Classifiers grouped teachers, based on their education and experience. Your grouping, or class, decided which teaching roles you could have.

A classified roll, managed by the Committees of Classifiers, listed the teachers. The roll was published in the Education Gazette.

In the 1850s and 1860s, most teachers had only a primary school education. Many people thought the government should only provide basic schooling for working-class children. Most teachers were pupil teachers who learned by teaching while they trained on the job.

Teacher training was not always valued. The government even closed the Teachers College due to financial and other pressures. This happened 3 times, from:

In the 1950s, the pupil teacher system ended. From 1967, students training to be primary teachers needed a Year 12 qualification.

Official teacher registration began in 1973. But the classification system remained until 1981.

Teacher registration

Teacher registration boards 1973–1993

In 1973, formal teacher registration began through 3 boards:

A Teachers Registration Council coordinated the 3 boards and handled appeals.

These boards:

In 1987, the 3 boards merged into the Teacher Registration Board. In 1990, the secondary and technical component merged to form one secondary division.

In 1993, the Standards Council of the Teaching Profession replaced the Teacher Registration Board.

Standards Council of the Teaching Profession 1993–2001

The council advised the government on:

The standards council did not register teachers. The Department of Education’s 1993–94 annual report said the government wished to operate in a deregulated environment.

During this time, the Registered Schools Board still registered teachers in non-government schools.

The Standards Council of the Teaching Profession only lasted until 2001. It was then replaced by the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT).

Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) 2002–present

In 2000, a government group suggested a new body should manage teacher registration.

The new body would bring all teacher registration under one system. The Victorian Institute of Teaching was set up in 2002 as an independent authority to do this.

Its main functions are to:

Information on current requirements for teacher qualifications and registration for employement in Victorian government schools can be found at Recruitment in Schools: Qualifications | VIC.GOV.AU | Policy and Advisory Library

Teacher registration records

Committees of Classifiers (1856–1981)

The committees published classified rolls in the Education Gazette.

Hard copies are at the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) in VPRS 15609/P4.

The University of Melbourne Library also has digitised versions.

Teacher registration boards (1973–1993)

Registration cards recorded teacher registration details. Each card contained a teacher’s:

The Public Record Office Victoria stores these cards, but they are not open to the public.

To access these records, you must submit a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

If you are a victim-survivor of child sexual abuse, please see Victim-survivor support for former students.

Standards Council of the Teaching Profession (1993–2001)

The Council did not register teachers. No registration information exists for this time. But summary information on teachers does exist.

For access, contact the Department of Education’s People and Workplace Relations (Schools) team: Contact HR for schools.

Victorian Institute of Teaching (2002–present)

The VIT keeps an online public list of teachers. You can search for registered teachers on the Victorian Institute of Teaching website.

Education & training

Updated 27 March 2026

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