Natalie1

All fellow teachers of Queensland, can you help me?

I received a letter the other day acknowledging receipt of my application for employment as a primary school teacher with Ed.QLD. I have now been given a ID number and eligible to teach on a temp/casual basis. However, not happy to learn that I now have to complete either 20 continuous days or accumulate 40 days of casual/temp teaching before I can even get close to applying for a permanent teaching position. A bit sickened off to say the least!!!!!

I'm getting worried now as I feel I'm going to miss out on applying for a permanent job for the start of next year. Has anyone been through the assessment process that you must do to get permanent work? If so, how long does it take and did you have to complete 'that' number of days before you start the assessment process?

Two weeks ago I sent letters round to private schools in my area. I've been put on a supply list for 2 schools and done 1 days supply so far...not enough though! A third school wants to put me on their list but before doing so wants the name of my current Pastor!!!!! My subject specialism is Theology but that doesn't mean I go to church!!!!

My husband and I have been here nearly 5 weeks now and I'm getting really frustrated with the whole system.

Come on...give me some success stories! I just want to get back into the classroom. We all love our 'six weeks' holiday but '11 weeks!'.....I'm getting really bored now.

wanderingwombat

You will find some religious schools will require church participation.

Other options are:

try other private schools in the Wynnum or Mt Gravatt area (assuming you have a car),

push for a face to face with the principal,

Fast track your experience requirement by volunteering (preferrably at a growing school so your efforts can put you in good stead for next year's recruitment). Free labour and no money but at least you are getting your time up.

Good luck with.

WW

Wal10

Hi,
Yes, it's a really frustrating system here. Even when you get a permanent job they'll probably want you on 1 year's probation followed by a 2nd year probation before you get a confirmed contract.

My husband's feeling really demoralised by the whole teaching thing here. He was top of UK lecturing scale after 13 years experience when we left there. He's at bottom of scale here, and after 9 months in post he's still battling to get his UK qualifications recognised. They want him to retrain for Aus certificates which have only half the content of his UK quals.

I have an Australian friend who left her teaching job to help her husband with starting up his business 3 years ago when it was really easy to get teaching jobs. She's spent the last year trying to get back into teaching in Qld, but no joy, she's ended up getting into child and family welfare instead.

Sorry, there's no easy answer to your predicament, but Good Luck with your efforts all the same.

Y.

Natalie1

Yes, so it sounds like it's not going to be easy. I think next week I'm going to have to do a bit of door knocking. It may be the case that I'll have to offer my services for free , but it's not ideal. I'm popping down to the office tomorrow to hand in some 'nil leave' and 'years employed' information they needed for payscale purposes, so I'll put my desperate for work face on (it might work!)

tinaj

Hi Natalie,
We had a few discussions on Ed QLD before so I am posting this info from an old post of mine. You may know lots of it already please excuse.

I am in my 2nd year of teaching out here and can only say permanent employment is VERY difficult to get, you have little hope unless you do outback service for 3-4 years. You can get contracts though, most are termly. The best thing is to get in to a few schools and then ask if any contracts are available. Schools have no power here to allocate jobs to perm staff so even if they love you they cannot give you a perm job!


To get a permanent job you will first have to do supply, then contracts, then be assessed and get the top rating R1 which is pretty hard to get, before you have any chance at all. I don't want to put you off but it can be hard. You can get supply work and there are some contracts available but you will have to promote yourself hard.

Also once you have trained to teach you will be expected to go 'outback' for 4 years in order to get a perm job here. Places like Mount Isa etc are common to be transferred to. You need to accrue a certain number of points to get a perm job here and not be transferred from it to a remote area again. You are basically 'owned' by the education dept here and they can move you where they like!

You can apply separately for private schools but these jobs are also pretty sought after. Good luck!

I am teaching here (10 yrs Uk experience I have a BA Hons and an MA ed)and am going through this long-winded process at present. On arrival you will first have to get registered with QLD dept which takes a while .

Next you can apply to work through your local ed dept, you will have to show everything again as none of these depts liase with each other! Eventually you get a letter and employee number, which states which areas you can teach in. You will need to show qualifications in each area to be able to teach in it. At this point you can do supply teaching and contracts of up to 18 weeks long in QLD. There are no agencies here so it is up to you to take your cv and letter to each school and try and persuade them to ring you with work!

Then if you want to get your past teaching recognised you will have to get everything assessed by the teacher rating dept. This may take months so you may be paid on the lowest scale for a while, you will get back paid eventually. If you do a contract you get paid by your experience, not the supply rate.

You will not even get on the list for a permanent job or any contract of over 18 weeks until you have first done a short contract in a school. Because you need to have a rating to do this and are only assigned a temporary supply rating at first. You need to apply to be assessed so you can get a teacher rating. You need to get a R1 to have any decent chance, it goes from R1 down to R4. You may have to take this a few times as with little Aussie teaching experience they are unlikely to give you this on your first attempt. You have to wait 100 teaching days before you can re-apply to be re-assessed.

You can apply to be re-assessed every 6 months but you must be doing a contract as the school do the assessment for you, so if you are on supply you will not be able to do it.

As you can see it is a longggggg process. There is supply work around, some people get lots, others little, it really will depend on your past experience, flexibility and background.

Once you get in to a school they may keep ringing you to come back or could have some short contracts available. This is how I started out, I did supply for a term then got offered a term contract. Fortunately this has been extended for the year - I am lucky!

Be prepared for an irregular salary and unstable future unless you are willing to work inland where they will transfer you to a job pretty easily. You accrue points and need 3-4 years inland to be transferred to a school in a decent area like in a city or Gold/Sunny Coast.


I have had huge gripes about the system here. I believe they should tell you all this before you apply to emigrate. They make it seem so easy!

samnrob2

I arrived here, registered with Ed Qld, went round to every school I could with my resume and after working in some schools was offered a month's contract.

Now I'm on a six month contract. Did my rating after 20 days on this contract and got an S1. Yes it is hard work, but if you're prepared to work hard, you'll do it. I've just been offered a 12 month contract which I'm not taking b/c it's not right for me, but have been led to believe that I am in the running for a long contract/permanent role at a new school - yippee

Once you're in, you're in, but the system is frustrating and wrong! As principles don't have a say, your movement is governed by Ed Qld and you can't 'apply' for jobs, you have to wait for them to come to you. You can influence with your resume and expression of interest.

It is totally wrong and messed up, but what can you do. If you are desperate for a job, try Calamvale Community College. They have a massive turnover of staff (for reasons which will become apparent if you go there! ) and always have contracts on offer.

You will not get a permanent job for a few years! Sorry!! There's a big hierarchy here. Kind of like at the doctors, you take your ticket and get in line with the thousands of other teachers!!

Newly qualified Aussie teachers get preference which is crazy and retired aussie teachers are always replaced with newly qualifieds.

Try and secure a contract before January, because that's when the newly qualifieds come out and take all the contracts.

Good luck. Don't worry, I got pissed off with it all too, but I've learnt to not give a toss! If you're good, you'll always get work...just not permanent.

There's a reason aussie teachers are leaving the country for the UK
Sam

Sam

Slightly different question, but sort of on the same lines!! is is the same for Teaching Aides???
I have several qualifications including a dipolma in child and youth studies (well i will have by them time we get there, as studying year 2 now) for Teaching Assistant (all UK)
In WA i've been told to float my CV around all local schools to get temp/supply work after 2 years of this it is possible to gain perm employment?

Is this the same for QLD? cause i know that each state runs separately?

Sorry to highjack this thread, just hoping someone can help??? pretty please!!!

Vash the Stampede

Queensland has an education system?

Gadzooks, whatever next?!

samnrob2

It has something that masquerades as an education system...

Sam

Natalie1

Thanks for all your advice :scared:

I'm going to give it my best shot. It's just great to know that I'm not the only one pulling my hair out with this system.

I was always under the impression they were crying out for teachers over here! Yeah right!

tinaj

Exactly I thought the same until I came here! I think it is better where you are but on the Sunshine Coast there is a 10-15 yr wait for a permanent job

Good luck with it all just take it easy like the QLDers do. You should get a contract and if the school likes you other jobs will come up. I started out for 5 weeks at my school and have now been here over a year. Don't know what I am doing yet in Jan but I am not going to worry yet ( apart from the fact I get no money after 9 th Dec :scared: )

JG04

Hi Natalie,

I totally sympathise with you. I eventually (after much hassling) got my letter from Ed Qld last week. Went round quite a few schools but have had no calls yet! Have also applied to private schools for Jan 06 but nothing. I've got 12 years experience, glowing references and have done loads of extra curricular stuff like producing school musicals and still nothing. I asked for feedback, heard from one school who said 'consider putting your CV onto coloured paper'!!!! What the.... :scared: ?????!! Wait and I'll get the crayons out!

Anyway I'm considering giving up altogether which is a shame as I really do love primary teaching. I'm teaching English to adults at the moment in Surfer's, not exactly what I want to do but it will have to do for now. Had an interview for an Overseas Recruitment Consultant today, sending Aussie teachers to England! Will see what happens. Would miss the holidays!!!!

Best of luck, it's frustrating I know. I got out here on a skilled visa with my teaching qualifications and experience and like you thought it would be easier to get a permanent job.
Take care.