INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS APPLYING FOR TEACHER REGISTRATION WITH

THE PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE

The Permaculture Institute’s criteria for issuing Permaculture Design Course Certificates has
been formalised over the last few years and The Permaculture Institute Teacher Register
was established. The Register protects students by reviewing teacher’s course notes with
the goal of maintaining the integrity of the Permaculture Design Certificate Course content.

Over the years, The Permaculture Institute received criticism and complaints from students
who had completed a PDC, only to find out later that their teacher or teachers did not
present to students the full curriculum of the Permaculture Design Course. In some cases
not one but several core subjects were not presented. This causes grave concern for us and
students alike. As students sign up with teachers for a Permaculture Design Course in good
faith that they will receive all subjects necessary for a PDC.

The Permaculture Design Certificate Course is the only course where the Permaculture
Institute reviews teachers’ Course notes. Permaculture teachers teach many other courses
in Permaculture; the Permaculture Institute does not review course notes for courses and
workshops such as these. The only course reviewed is The Permaculture Design Certificate
Course.

Once qualifications have been confirmed and Permaculture Design Course notes perused
and found to adequately cover the Permaculture Design Course curriculum, teachers will be
registered on the Institute’s Permaculture Design Course Teacher Register. Certificates are
only supplied to registered teachers of The Permaculture Institute.

Teachers applying for registration need to provide a copy of their Permaculture Design
Course notes. Please note, if each topic is not clearly indicated in the Permaculture Design
Course notes, notes need to be attached explaining in which section of the Permaculture
Design Course the topic is presented.

The Institute requires on file, a copy of the teacher’s own Permaculture Design Course
Certificate; however, if teachers have a Diploma of Permaculture Design, it is not necessary
to submit a Permaculture Design Course Certificate. Perusal of Permaculture Design Course
notes to determine content demands a substantial input of time. It has become necessary
to request a fee of AUD$125.00 to cover costs on application for registration.
The role of the Permaculture Institute in this process is to assist applicants for Permaculture
Design Course Teacher registration. Applicants can proceed with confidence that should
their goal be to become a registered Permaculture Design Course teacher, by presenting
the full curriculum, the Institute will assist them with that goal. Teachers who may not be
presenting the full curriculum will be assisted to find deficient areas -they can then extend
their Permaculture Design Course presentation to fully cover the Permaculture Design
Course curriculum, and hence complete their Permaculture Design Course Teacher
registration.

Please note, it has never been a requirement for teachers to have a minimum of
two years teaching before applying for Permaculture Design Course Teacher
registration.
Continuing registration is conditional upon the teacher’s undertaking to continue to present
the full curriculum to students.

The Institute has registered Permaculture Design Course teachers practising in Queensland,
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, Austria, Lesotho,
Japan, Jordan and New Zealand. One of our registered teachers specialises in
correspondence / online courses.

The Permaculture Institute only recommends registered Permaculture Design Course

teachers for the Permaculture Design Course.

Note from Bill Mollison for all teachers

Don’t spend too much energy on bio-regional specifics. A bio-regional course is appropriate
for tribal groups confined to tribal areas. It is not applicable to anyone in the western world.
No one can predict where his/her students will end up teaching, and bio-regionalism
encourages a restricted approach to knowledge. Teachers should put less emphasis on bio-
regionalism so that students are not confined and unprepared to work elsewhere.

As well, many students seem to know little about earthworks - this topic should not be
omitted. Even less students initiate trusts or financial systems and I feel as though they
don’t have enough confidence to start up their own institute structures, with a few
exceptions.

Students repeatedly tell us that they have been instructed not to start teaching until they
receive their Diploma. This is not true. You may start teaching immediately on completion
of your PDC and receipt of your Certificate, and thus earn your Diploma. Most people start
teaching as a co-teacher with a more-experienced teacher.

Sincerely,
Bill Mollison
PERMACULTURE INSTITUTE
13th September, 2000

Blank Design Course Certificates

Each Certificate is AUD $3.75
Orders are in lots of 25 certificates.
Please order 25, 50, 75 or 100 + etc…
Small Order Surcharge of AUD$5.00 accompanies each order. This covers the
administration time for processing the certificates.

Please note, all costs are in Australian Dollars

Go to the list now

Information for students

The Permaculture Institute now has a Teacher Register for teachers of the Permaculture
Design Certificate Course. The Institute has over the years received criticism and
complaints from many students who had completed a PDC, only to find out later that their
teacher/s had not presented to students the full curriculum of the Permaculture Design
Course. In some cases not one but several core subjects were not presented. This is a
grave concern. Students sign up with teachers for a Permaculture Design Course believing
they will receive all subjects necessary for a PDC.

Registered teachers have submitted their course notes to the Permaculture Institute for
verification that they are presenting to students the full and entire curriculum of the
Permaculture Design Certificate Course.

The Permaculture Institute can only recommend registered teachers.

Permaculture is a word coined by the author, Bill Mollison. Its copyright is vested in the
Permaculture Institutes and their College of graduates, and is guarded by them for the
purposes of consistent education.

Copyright was deliberately sought, and the unique name coined so that this system of
education could not be pre-empted by existing institutions or government agencies, but
belongs to certified individuals and Permaculture Institutes (as corporate bodies). The
intention of the copyright is to maintain the integrity of the educational area (with its
considerable goodwill) for those who know the content of a Permaculture Design Course.

A person must be a Design Course graduate to use this name.

A Certified Permaculture Design Course must be completed prior to receiving a Certificate.

These certified courses allow students to apply for Diplomas in design, following on two or
more year’s activity.

The chapter contents of the text, PERMACULTURE: A Designer’s Manual, lays out the
curriculum of the basic 72 hour Permaculture Design Course; students should check this
book with teachers or trainee teachers giving courses, and should be familiar with the whole
field covered in the text.

If Registered Teachers fail to cover the course content, this Institute can be notified.

The Permaculture Design Certificate Course is the only course where the Permaculture
Institute reviews teacher’s notes. As it is the course which, upon completion, allows the
student to teach Permaculture, to use the word Permaculture and to enter the Academy,
the Permaculture Institute must ensure students are receiving the entire curriculum for this
course.

Permaculture teachers teach many other courses in Permaculture, for instance, Backyard
Permaculture, Starting a Permaculture Co-Op, Introduction to Permaculture etc. The
Permaculture Institute does not review course notes for courses and workshops such as
these. The only course reviewed is The Permaculture Design Certificate Course.

Requirements for Students Applying for Teacher Registration of the Permaculture

Design Certificate Course

To help students to successful apply for Teacher Registration for the Permaculture Design
Certificate Course the following list of requirements and helpful hints are supplied below.
List of Requirements

1. Letter requesting registration as a Teacher of the Permaculture Design Certificate Course.

2. Copy of Certificate of successful completion of the Permaculture Design Certificate

Course. (Not necessary if you have a Diploma of Permaculture Design)

3. Resume stating previous Education and Experience. (Consider leaving this out –)

4. Comprehensive Course Summary notes taken from: PERMACULTURE: A Designers’

Manual by Bill Mollison. All chapters need to be covered. Minimum word length: 14000
words). This is the major work you need to undertake for your Permaculture Teacher
registration. It should represent considerable time, effort and understanding. 14000 words
represent 1000 words per chapter and around this amount are recommended as a
minimum for each chapter. If you write around 100 words on each sub chapter then you
will easily meet the 14000 word requirement. Please note that PERMACULTURE: A
Designers’ Manual is the manual for the Permaculture Design Certificate course and is also
the curriculum of that course. Therefore that is why this aspect of the requirements for
teacher registration is so important.

5. A daily course schedule based on 72 hour instruction. (12 six hour days and a final 13th
half day session.)

6. Details of student practical component of Permaculture design work and assessment.

7. Payment of registration fee that covers assessment and processing of your application.
(Check www.tagari.com for current fees).

8. Supportive letter from your Permaculture Teacher.

Helpful Hints:

1. Spend considerable time studying PERMACULTURE: A Designers’ Manual to work up your

course notes. Have an excess of material you can draw on to present to your students and
be fully conversant with it.

2. Using the Index of the PERMACULTURE: A Designers’ Manual and using the sub heading
of each chapter make summary notes to present your Course. Remember that
PERMACULTURE: A Designers’ Manual is the Manual for the 72 hour PDC Course. Therefore
every chapter and sub chapters needs to be covered thoroughly. As there is a large amount
of material to cover it is important to consider how to teach the material and not leave out
important information.