Certificate in Teaching – Primary

The Certificate in Teaching (Primary) is an in-service credential at the University of the South Pacific built around eight courses, one of which carries a supervised classroom practicum. Candidates finish in roughly a year studying full time, or about eighteen months part time, and USP delivers the qualification through its network of member-country campuses rather than from one location. Because the award targets practising but untrained primary teachers, USP only runs a cohort once a Pacific member country has organised project funding for it; there is no standing annual intake open to individual applicants. Those accepted must already be working as primary teachers without formal training and have logged at least two years in the classroom, and a nominating head teacher has to vouch for them in writing before a place is confirmed. The arrangement lets a government fund training for serving staff in bulk rather than sending individuals through a general-entry pathway.