Independent School Teaching Certificate requirements to apply

• 120 or more credit/semester hours of relevant post-secondary education from a recognized institution
• A teaching credential from a recognized institution that provides teacher training solely within the Montessori or Waldorf philosophical, educational or pedagogical perspective

Only teacher education programs that contain significant on-campus education and a practicum that is supervised and evaluated will be recognized. Programs completed entirely by distance/online education are unlikely to be recognized. Programs completed internationally will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Montessori education programs must be accredited through:

• Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)
• American Montessori Society (AMS)
• Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE)

Waldorf education programs must be completed in North America accredited through:

• Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN)
• Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA)

• Any of the following certificates demonstrating successful completion of a competitive examination, which qualify the holder to teach in the French public school system: CRPE, CAPE, CAPES, CAPET, CAFEP, CAPLP, CAPEPS, or the Agrégation
• 120 or more credit/semester hours of relevant post-secondary education

• A degree and 120 or more credit/semester hours of relevant post-secondary education from a recognized institution
• 18 credits of upper level (third and fourth year) academic course work or 30 credits of any level academic course work in at least one valid teachable area with the applicable subject category, as shown in the Independent School Teaching Certificate Standards. Certificates can be issued to an applicant under multiple subject categories if the applicant demonstrates academic qualifications under each category
• For the subject category of additional languages, in the absence of 30 credits (18 upper level credits) of course work in a teaching area, applicants who have a first language other than English will be given 30 credits of academic course work in that language if they have both of the following:
  • High school completion and a post-secondary degree in a country where that language is the primary language of instruction
  • Six credits of literature and composition at the post-secondary level in the language to be taught

We may require a letter from the institution you attended that confirms the language of instruction for the program.

Note: The Director of Certification may add a teachable area or academic qualification to one of the established subject categories. Only the Independent School Teaching Certificate Standards Committee (ISTCSC) may add additional Subject Categories to the list.

• An SSR-1 designation requires post-secondary training in a teachable subject area, and is typically limited to grades K-9
• An SSR-2 designation requires post-secondary training and credential completion (certificate, diploma, etc.) and is typically needed for instruction of electives at the Graduation Program level

You can demonstrate English language proficiency by showing proof of one of the following:  

• Completion of secondary school education, including grade 12, in English, in Canada
• Completion of a British Columbia Teachers’ Council approved teacher education program in English, and recommendation for a Certificate of Qualification from that program
• Completion of a recognized teacher training program in English, under section 1(b), in Canada
• Completion of a minimum of four years of post-secondary education in English, including the completion of a recognized teacher training program under section 1(b)
• Completion of a minimum of four years of post-secondary education in English, including a recognized degree under section 7(a)
• Verified K-12 teaching experience in Canada, in English, of at least three years full time (or part-time equivalent) within the five-year period immediately preceding your application, and a successful teaching report
• Verified K-12 teaching experience in English, in a school where the primary language of instruction is English, of at least three years full time (or part-time equivalent) within the five-year period immediately preceding your application, and a successful teaching report
• An acceptable test score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) – use the TOEFL Institution Code 8693
• An acceptable test score on the Academic version of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic)

System Restricted and Subject Restricted Independent School Teaching Certificates

• TOEFL iBT: a total score of 95 with a minimum of 23 on reading, listening, and writing; and 25 on speaking 
• IELTS Academic: overall band score of 6.5 with no band below 6 and with a minimum of 6.5 on the speaking band

School and Subject Restricted Independent School Teaching Certificate

• TOEFL iBT: a total score of 85 with a minimum of 20 on reading, listening, and writing; and 25 on speaking  
• IELTS Academic: overall band and speaking score of 6 with no band below 5

You can demonstrate French language proficiency by showing proof of one of the following:

• Completion of secondary school education in French, including grade 12, in Canada
• Completion of a British Columbia Teachers’ Council approved teacher education program in French, and recommendation for a Certificate of Qualification from that program
• Completion of a recognized teacher training program in French, under section 1(b), in Canada
• Completion of a minimum of four years of post-secondary education in French, including the completion of a recognized teacher training program under section 1(b)
• Completion of a minimum of four years of post-secondary education in French, including a recognized degree under section 7(a)
• A satisfactory assessment from an administrator at a B.C. school that operates under l’Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Étranger (AEFE) verifying your fluency and proficiency in French
• Verified K-12 teaching experience in Canada, in French, of at least three years fulltime (or part-time equivalent) within the five-year period preceding your application, and a successful teaching report
• Verified K-12 teaching experience in French, in a school where the primary language of instruction is French, of at least three years full-time (or part-time equivalent) within the five-year period preceding your application, and a successful teaching report
• A minimum score of C1 on the Diplôme approfondi de langue française (DALF)
• A minimum score of B1 on the Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF)