The Victorian Institute of Teaching initially rejected Kim Salter's application to teach, saying it was not in the public interest for someone convicted of such a serious offence to work in schools.

But the 38-year-old successfully appealed the decision in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, who ruled she would be a "great asset" in rural Victorian schools.

Ms Salter was introduced to international drug couriers when she travelled to Uganda in 2007. She "spent some months partying", and used drugs including LSD, marijuana, ecstasy, amphetamine, cocaine and magic mushrooms about five times a week, VCAT senior member Robert Davis wrote in his decision.

But then her money dried up and she started looking for work.

"The applicant was in Africa. She was seeking adventure. There was a degree of romantic involvement. She was naive and trusting," Mr Davis said.

During a six-week period, she went on three international trips to London, Togo and Nairobi, Spain and Brazil.

The drug couriers – who claimed they were concerned about government corruption involving pharmaceutical companies in Uganda – asked Ms Salter to smuggle a microchip to London in a computer bag. In exchange, she received £2000 ($A4000).

On the other two trips, she was asked to courier gemstones.

But her globe trotting came to a grinding halt in September 2007 when her suitcase was searched by customs officers at Barcelona airport. They discovered she was carrying five kilograms of cocaine, and she was immediately arrested.

She was sentenced to nine years in a Spanish jail, but was released after four years. During her time in jail she learnt how to speak Spanish, taught yoga and English to other prisoners, and decided to stop taking drugs.

Ms Salter was released from prison in 2011, and in 2014 completed a diploma of education at RMIT. During her studies she worked as a student teacher at Benalla P-12 College and was given a glowing reference.

The school's Indonesian language co-ordinator Heidi Perry said  Ms Salter had very advanced skill levels for a teacher who had not graduated.

Ms Perry said she was shocked to learn of Ms Salter's conviction but did not think twice about giving her a reference. "It would be a massive loss not to have such a skilled teacher in the classroom," she said in an affidavit.

VCAT ruled that Ms Salter made an error of judgment, was a rehabilitated, respected member of the community and there was no imminent risk to children in her care.

"We accept that the applicant would be a great asset as a teacher in country Victoria with her multilingual skills. It would be against the public interest to deprive the people of the Hume area in Victoria of their children being able to be taught by the applicant," Mr Davis said.

Victorian Institute of Teaching chief executive Melanie Saba said she was disappointed that the VIT had been ordered to register the applicant.

"VIT considered this application for registration very carefully and determined that it was not in the public interest to register this applicant," she said.