Bachelor of Education (Secondary)

This nationally accredited course provides the opportunity for those with a passion in a particular subject specialisation and the desire to work with young people, to become secondary teachers.

Students study their preferred areas of specialisation, in addition to a suite of core education units that address key educational needs of young people. Graduates of this course will have the flexibility to take up employment in both private and government secondary schools. A central feature of this course is the range of professional practice experiences Pre-Service Teachers undertake throughout their training. This provides valuable and diverse employability skills and enables them to connect theory to practice.

Important course notes

Cross-Campus attendance
Students may be required to attend both Joondalup and Mount Lawley campuses depending on their selected major and minor combination. Southwest campus: Please note that only the Majors and Minors of Biological Science Education, English Education and Humanities and Social Sciences Education and the Minor of Mathematics Education can be studied on-campus. The Minor in Catholic Education may be studied online. Please refer to each of the Major and Minor listings for details of other delivery options.

Practicum requirement
Students are provided numerous opportunities to make the connection between theory and practice, through professional experiences. Partnerships between the University and a diverse range of secondary schools allow students to gain the experience they need to become successful and confident teachers. Students will complete a 3-week placement (PPA2211) in Year 2 and a 5-week placement (PPA3211) in Year 3. These practicum placements allow students to apply their knowledge of secondary education and build professional and generic employability skills in real classroom settings, culminating in a 9-week Assistant Teacher professional experience placement (PPA4311) in the final year of the degree. Further information regarding Professional Experience can be found at: https://www.ecu.edu.au/schools/education/professional-experience

Attendance requirements
Generally host Schools and Centres require that the Pre-Service Teachers attend the placement on a full time basis and otherwise meet their specific attendance requirements of the particular placement. 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 (Bluecard mandatory), or the equivalent clearance issued by the relevant State authority before commencing this period of Professional Experience. 

Professional practice rules
During the placement, 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 Pre-Service Teachers placement prior to completion of the placement. 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 placement in certain circumstances. Early termination or withdrawal from the professional experience 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.