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 | It has been suggested that Teaching credential be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since October 2024. |
A certified teacher (also known as registered teacher, licensed teacher, or professional teacher based on jurisdiction) is an educator who has earned credentials from an authoritative source, such as a government's regulatory authority, an education department/ministry, a higher education institution, or a private body. This teacher qualification gives a teacher authorization to teach and grade in pre-schools, primary or secondary education in countries, schools, content areas or curricula where authorization is required. While many authorizing entities require student teaching experience before earning teacher certification, routes vary from country to country.
A teaching qualification is one of a number of academic and professional degrees that enables a person to become a registered teacher. Examples of teaching qualifications in different jurisdictions include a Diploma in Education and Training, Bachelor of Education, Master of Education,Postgraduate Certificate in Education, Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), and Professional Graduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning. These qualifications are still reviewed by the jurisdiction's regulatory authority and teachers may still be required to take a test to see if they know the right competencies in pedagogy and their subject specialisation. If they meet the necessary requirements and competencies, they are issued a certificate or licence to practise teaching. Though teacher certifications are most commonly provided by governments and higher education institutions, there are a few private bodies providing teacher certifications; for example, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in the United States and the Centre for Teacher Accreditation (CENTA) in India.