Teachers Registration Board NT annual report shows increase in teachers working unregistered or without authorisation between 2019 and 2020

There was a “significant increase” in the number of people teaching unregistered or unauthorised in the NT between 2019 and 2020, according to an annual report.

FIFTY-nine people were teaching unregistered or without authorisation in the Territory between July 2019 and June 2020, according to an annual report from an independent body.

The Teachers Registration Board 2019-20 annual report showed of the 59 teachers, 38 did not pay the annual registration fee.

It was a “significant ­increase” from 2018-19, with 34 people teaching unregistered or without authorisation during the period.

Of those 34, 21 teachers did not pay the annual registration fee.

In response to questions from the Sunday Territorian, the TRB would not provide a further breakdown of why teachers were working unregistered or unauthorised due to “teacher confidentiality”.

“The reasons for why those persons taught unregistered or without an authority to teach is varied from not paying their annual fee to not seeking registration or an authority to teach before they commenced teaching,” a statement said.

While the TRB was also ­unable to comment on whether employees or employers faced action for the unregistered or unauthorised teachers, the ­annual report said “it is anticipated that prosecutions will be instigated accordingly”.

According to the Teacher Registration (NT) Act 2004, it is an offence for schools to ­employ or continue to employ teachers who are not ­registered.

Teachers can also face a penalty for not being ­registered.

The maximum penalty for each is 50 units or $157 a unit. A maximum penalty totals to $7850.

It is the first year since the 2014-15 annual report that the TBR has suggested prosecutions will be instigated, with the past five annual reports saying no prosecutions had begun.

The TRB said responsibility of registration and authorisation fell mainly to schools and teachers.

“For some time now, the board has provided professional training to teachers and employers as to their ­responsibilities in this regard and also sent reminders to teachers to pay their annual fees or renew their teacher registrations,” a statement read.

“Reminders are sent out to teachers monthly from September each year.”