Bachelor of Education (Primary)

UC runs the Bachelor of Education (Primary) as a four-year AITSL and TQI accredited degree leading to ACT teacher registration for kindergarten to year six. UC has one of the largest teacher-education faculties in the ACT and supplies a substantial share of ACT primary teaching workforce. Year one covers child development, foundations of literacy and numeracy, education theory, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education and the first observation placement (around 20 days). Year two layers curriculum and pedagogy across the six K-6 key learning areas (English, mathematics, science and technology, HASS, health and PE, the arts), classroom management, inclusive education and the second placement block (around 30 days). Year three carries specialist methods in English and mathematics, assessment and reporting, behaviour management, advanced literacy and numeracy pedagogy, plus the third placement (around 40 days). Year four runs the internship-style final placement (around 60 days, an extended professional practice block of 9 to 10 weeks), the literacy and numeracy test (LANTITE), and a teaching specialisation chosen from priority areas (Early Childhood, Special Needs, EAL/D, STEM). Total supervised professional experience: 80 plus days across the degree, predominantly in ACT public, Catholic and independent schools.

AITSL requires 80 supervised teaching days across the four-year primary degree, broken into block placements of increasing length and responsibility. UC places students across ACT Education Directorate public schools (Belconnen, Tuggeranong, Gungahlin and inner-north districts), Catholic Education Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn schools, and ACT independents. Final-year internship runs as a near-full teaching load under a supervising teacher. Before placement starts students must complete the ACT Working with Vulnerable People (WWVP) registration, TQI accreditation registration, child protection training and the LANTITE literacy and numeracy test. UC also offers a Regional and Rural Teaching strand with placements in Queanbeyan, Cooma, Yass and surrounding NSW schools, supported by federal placement assistance grants.

Graduates apply for provisional teacher registration via the ACT Teacher Quality Institute (TQI) and start as classroom teachers in ACT Education Directorate public schools, Catholic Education Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (CEACG) schools, and independents (Canberra Grammar, Canberra Girls Grammar, Burgmann, Radford). UC graduates can also seek out-of-area NSW Department of Education positions in surrounding LGAs (Queanbeyan-Palerang, Snowy Monaro). Permanent ACT Education positions go through the Education Directorate teacher recruitment system. Postgraduate pathways include Master of Education (Special Education, TESOL, Leadership), Master of Educational Leadership and the Master of Teaching (Secondary) for K-12 versatility. Higher accreditation levels (Highly Accomplished, Lead Teacher) require evidence-based portfolio submissions to TQI.