Independent School Teaching Certificate (ISTC) categories

On this page:

• System Restricted Certificate (SYR)
• Subject Restricted Certificate (SR)
• School and Subject Restricted Certificate (SSR)

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System Restricted Certificate (SYR)

This certificate is non-expiring and restricts educators to teaching within a B.C. independent Montessori or Waldorf school. Additionally, the certificate can be:

• restricted to Kindergarten, depending on the teaching program completed
• issued for teaching in schools that operate under l’Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Étranger (AEFE)

Requirements to apply for:

• System Restricted Certificate (SYR)
• System Restricted Certificate to l’Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Étranger (AEFE)

 

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Subject Restricted Certificate (SR)

This certificate restricts educators to teach subjects that are directly related to their post-secondary studies.

The certificate is initially valid for up to 60 months and can be upgraded to a non-expiring certificate if a 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.

These certificates are not issued to elementary generalists.

• See the current subject categories in the Independent School Teaching Certificate Standards
• Post-secondary requirements to apply for a Subject Restricted Certificate

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School & Subject Restricted Certificate (SSR)

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.

• Post-secondary requirements to apply for a School & Subject Restricted Certificates

SSR certificates are not issued for Elementary Generalist and Special Education teachers 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 on 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 a Letter of Permission.

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