Apply for an Independent School Teaching Certificate - School and Subject Restricted Certificate (SSR)

Teach in a school and a subject in B.C.'s independent school system

Eligibility

Before you apply for an Independent School Teaching Certificate in British Columbia:

Overview

This certificate restricts educators to teach:

  • Only the subjects related to their specialized post-secondary training, unique life skills or practical experience (e.g. religious studies or board authority approved courses)
  • Only for the independent authority seeking to hire them
  • Specific grades, depending on the applicant’s credentials, training and experience

The certificate is initially valid for up to 60 months. It can be upgraded to a non-expiring certificate if the teacher demonstrates successful teaching experience for at least 1.5 years full time (or equivalent part time). Teacher-on-call experience (substitute teaching) is not accepted.

SSR certificates are not issued for Special Education or for core, provincially-regulated subjects such as: Drama, English, Fine Art, French, Math, Music, Science (including Biology, Chemistry and Physics), Social Studies (including History and Geography), Physical Education, and Technology Education.

In some cases, an application for these courses may be considered, depending a school authority’s specific school or community identity or if it's difficult to find teachers for a specific teaching area. As an alternative, you may consider applying for a Letter of Permission.

Apply

Register for a BCeID to create your teacher certification account

If you do not have a BCeID you will need to create one for secure access to Your Account.
Inside your Your Account you can 

  • Submit an application
  • Check on the status of your application
  • Pay your annual fee and more...

Log in to your teacher certification account

If you have a BCeID or you have started an application you can log in to check on the progress of your application.

Application Fee

The application fee for an Independent School Teaching Certificate is $245.

Please Note:

  • Applications cannot be processed until the fee is paid
  • Application fees are non-refundable
  • Pay when you submit your application in your account by using Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. You can also use pre-paid Visa or Mastercard

Contact information

Contact us Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

Victoria Phone
250-387-6121
Vancouver Phone
604-660-2421
Elsewhere in B.C. Toll Free
1-800-663-7867
Outside B.C. Office
604-660-2421