ACE

Hi All,
Does anyone living in Perth know if there is much demand for maths/Information Communication Technology teachers out there.
I am still at uni at the moment(final year) and plan to do a post Grad Diploma in education when i get there so i'm thinking of long term demand.
Many websites suggest that there is a high demand but as we all know some websites don't fully reflect the true reality.
Kind Regards
Ace

grubelice

If you look on website careerone which I guess is where you have been looking there does not seem to be a lot at present. From what I gather demand is less in Perth than in Melborne or Sydney. I think in WA you have to serve 2 years as a teacher in a country area - ie way out of Perth - before you can be offered a job in Perth itself. In addition there are lots of private Christian schools where you might only get a job if you are the same religious persuasion. I have found some other websites and I will e-mail you the details when I find the info if you like. I am a teacher of ICT/Computer Studies/Business/Economics and am presently an FE LEcturer. In Oz there are also openings in TAFE which is the FE sector. I do know however that there is a very serious shortage of teachers in NZ and I get offers of jobs virtually daily. The academic year starts in January in Oz and I am going over in five weeks so I should get registered with the equivalent of the supply work board and hope to get some work. I have read articles that suggest there is a shortage but have yet to put that to the test. I believe that another route is to contact schools directly and apply to them directly. The teaching jobs are mainly advertised in The Australian newspaper and you can view that on-line. Like in England there are times when the job market is leaner and I guess there is less teacher movement in Oz. Also the population is a lot smaller and you might have to look at things like the demographics in Perth/WA to gauge what demand there is now and in future. My view is that it is harder to break into but once in you can be sorted. There is not, as far as I know, no Australian equivalent of the TES, but there again the population is much smaller than UK so maybe no need. Oh yeah - I also suspect you have to get at least a year of teaching under your belt. Good luck

Elaine

ACE

Hi Elaine,
Thanks very much for all the info i have not tried that website but i'll keep an eye on it. I'm a little concerned about having to work in a remote school for a couple of years as this could conflict with my husbands work and also with my son's schooling. I plan to study some extra modules on my post graduate course which will qualify me to teach in the Catholic schools as well as main stream and non-religious private schools. Hopefully this will improve my chances of getting a job.
Many Thanks
Ace

Loopy

I work with a lady out here who was a Primary school teacher in the UK. She is doing other childcare work now for several reasons, one being that it is a hard area to break into and the other being that the education department can apparently send you anywhere they choose to do so, rural, suburbs at the opposite end of Perth etc and as she has a young family she decided it wasn't for her.

However, there are schools who appoint teachers on a "merit select" basis. The schools interview and choose their prferred candidate. I talked to one teacher who had got her job through this process and although very happy with the job was shocked she had to go through two fairly rigorous interviews. (Makes you wonder how easy it is to be taken on by the education department!).

Also every week there are a few adverts for teachers in the West Australian Newspaper for teachers. Varies how many and a lot of them are at the private schools. I noticed this week there are several at my daughters school, across a broad range of subjects.

Hope this helps

Loopy

PS Any ideas where you want to live?

ACE

Hi Loopy,
Thanks very much for the info. Although it is rather unsettling as i too have a young family. I am planning to do some extra units on the UWA or ECU post grad dip in ed course, which i am planning to do when we arrive, which would allow me to teach in Catholic schools as well as main stream and other private schools, i'm hoping that this may improve my chances of getting a job.

At the moment we are looking very seriously at South Rockingham, Warnboro, Safety Bay areas and will be coming over for christmas and new year to do some more research. Do you have any knowledge of these areas ie schools, housing, crime etc?
Many Thanks
Ace

ACE

Hi Loopy,
I wonder if you would mind telling me which school your daughter attends.(you can send me a PM if you like) I have been looking at Living Waters Lutheran College and Tranby College for my 7 year old son. Have you any knowledge of either of these schools? also is there a big difference in working at the state as opposed to the private schools in terms of pay, conditions etc.
Many Thanks
Ace

PHIZA

I have a vaguely connected question. Does anyone know if this 2 year rule also relates to qualified Special NeedsTeaching Assistants (I think they are called Teachers Aids in Oz).
Also is the NVQ3 Training and Development qualification recognised?