In Victoria, Educational Interpreters are specialist Educational Support (ES) staff who provide language and communication support in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) and English to provide deaf and hard of hearing students with access to their learning environment. Educational Interpreting is a profession within the language interpreting sector as well as within the deaf education field.
Educational Interpreters work as part of a team which includes the classroom teacher and specialist staff such as Teachers of the Deaf and Allied Health Professionals. It is important to note that Educational interpreters are not Auslan language teachers - their role is to support access to the curriculum for deaf and hard of hearing students.
While it is recommended that Educational Interpreters are qualified NAATI (National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters) interpreters, schools in Victoria generally employ Educational Interpreters as ES Level 1 Range 2 or Range 3. Vacant positions are advertised via the usual school recruitment processes on https://careers.vic.gov.au/
Schools are encouraged to employ ES staff who are fluent in Auslan and can communicate effectively across a range of interactions so that deaf and hard of hearing students are provided with optimal access to the school curriculum and a range of social interactions with their peers.
VDEI plays a critical role in supporting the Educational Interpreter workforce. This is achieved by:
- Development of the Professional Standards for Educational Interpreters
- Onsite support for interpreters and schools in how to implement the standards
- Guidelines and documentation to guide the implementation of the standards
- Provision of professional learning designed for Educational Interpreters
- Support for a Community of Practice and mentoring.
If you would like to know more about Educational Interpreters and how VDEI can support schools, please contact us at vdei@education.vic.gov.au
