Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Studies)

This nationally accredited course is designed to graduate early childhood educators who are competent teachers ready to work in schools and a range of early childhood settings.

A key feature of this course is connecting theory with practice. Graduates will have the knowledge and be able to develop early childhood educational programs for children from birth to 8 years of age. Partnerships with over 1,000 schools and early childhood settings allow Pre-Service Teachers to gain experience in diverse settings, including public, private, metropolitan, regional and remote contexts working with children, families and communities. In addition, a distinguishing feature of this course is that Pre-Service Teachers have the opportunity in the fourth year of their course to specialise and broaden their knowledge and skills in an area of interest. Units are also available in the degree that enables Pre-Service Teachers to complete accreditation requirements to teach in Catholic schools. Final year Pre-Service Teachers can apply for a place in the internship program in either a school or early learning setting.

Important course notes

Practicum requirement
In each year of the program, students undertake compulsory Professional Experience and in the final year, students undertake an Assistant Teacher Program (ATP) comprising of one term of approximately 10 weeks of continuous teaching practice. The Assistant Teacher Program is conducted during the final year of the course in the second term of the school year.

Attendance requirements
Generally, host Schools and Centres require that the Pre-Service Teachers attend the Professional Experience on a full-time basis and otherwise meet their specific attendance requirements of the particular professional experience. There is limited scope for ECU to negotiate any deviations from these requirements.

Clearances and/or Risk Management Protocols Required
The Department of Education Western Australia and cooperating non-government schools have the right to determine 'fit and proper persons' to enter and practice in schools. For these reasons, all Pre-Service Teachers 18 years of age and over will be required to have a current Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check (NCCHC) and a current Working with Children Check, or the equivalent clearance issued by the relevant State authority before commencing this period of Professional Experience.

Professional practice rules
During the Professional Experience , it is imperative that Pre-Service Teachers always demonstrate professionalism and respect for industry partners. Pre-Service Teachers must abide by the professional standards set out in the ECU Student Code of Conduct and comply with the applicable University policies and rules. The host School/Centre has absolute discretion to terminate the Ppre-Service Teachers placement prior to completion of the Professional Experience. Situations where this discretion has been exercised are typically where the School/Centre has had concerns about Pre-Service Teacher's conduct or performance. ECU may also withdraw a Pre-Service Teacher from Professional Experience in certain circumstances. Early termination or withdrawal from the Professional Experiencee placement may result in a Fail grade for this unit.

Registration
Students will need to graduate to be eligible to register with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA). Registration with the Teacher Registration Board of Western Australia (TRBWA) is required to practice in the profession.
Graduates must meet the Teacher Registration Board of WA (TRBWA) literacy and numeracy proficiency requirements prior to graduation for teacher registration in Western Australia.