Jaycee1

I have been looking into teaching assistant jobs in Melbourne and i am confused about the payscales and hours in the job descriptions.
This is an example:


Position Description:
School Serv Off Level 1 Rge 1
Subject/Duties: Level: Primary Grades P-6
Teacher Aide - Integration
Employment Type: Fixed Term
Time Fraction: Employment Mode: 48/52
0.80

Can anyone help
Or have a website explaining payscales?
J x

plantpot

post on the jobs by profession board- teaching...they are very helpful....would love to do that in nsw but have no ideas where vacancies might be posted....

quoll

http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibr...ary_Rates2.pdf

A bit outdated but will give you the general idea

comet555

The 0.8 looks like how much time you'd be working. So 0.8 would be 80% of a full time load. So your pay would also be 80% of whatever that job is on the pay scale.

I'm going to to guess that the 48/52 means working 48 weeks out of 52? Or it could have something to do with how many time blocks they have in a week. Not too sure about that one.

I've been doing a bit of relief teachers aide work in QLD and I've been getting about $22-23 an hour. Not quite sure what the regular staff gets though. Things may be different in Melbourne as well.

Sam

close

the 0.8 is time blocks a week........ so 4 whole days or.... 3 whole days and 2 half days

each 0.1 is half a day

oh and i get $25 an hour....i'm a level 3 special needs support assistant in a special needs centre

i work 1.0 so work all day every day

comet555

That part was more than close. That was dead on. 80% of a full time work work load is the equivalent of 4 days. 5 days times 0.8 = 4 days. I didn't really think I needed to spell that part out in detail though, that's why I just said 80% because who knows if it's full days or half days. Also, to go further each day would be 0.2 (or 20%) or as you said each half day is 0.1 (10%).

The other bit I have no idea what it stands for.

As for the salary I think I'm level 1. I've only worked 3 days so far so it's fair to say that I'm starting at the bottom. Looking at the payslip it looks like I'm at $23 per hour. Not too bad for what I'm looking for. I'm actually a qualified teacher but right now with one child in Prep and another at home this is a nice way for me to get out of the house on occasion.

Teacher's aide work is fairly hard to get a permanent spot though, or at least it is at the school I've been working at. Doesn't bother me I'm more than happy just working a day or two a month if that's what they have. It would make it difficult if you need the work and are hoping for full time though.

Broad Shoulders

absolute travesty and one of the major short comings of modern day society that our teachers, assistants and day carers are paid so low. They should be the some of the highest paid

jon.n.bec

Hi

Did you have to train in oz to be a ta?, and if so what does it involve (time/cost etc.), if I do decide to come over i think it would be something i might look in to.

How is it different from being a ta in uk schools?

i'm level 3 qualified in the uk, but to be honest the thing i least like is having responsibility for the whole class, (standing in for teachers absences etc.), & all of the schools i have worked in would only employ level 3 for this reason, if i wanted to do the work of a teacher i would have trained to be one. I get the impression from reading threads on ta's in oz that you don't have the same responsibility as you would in a uk school, i would be interested to know if this is the case, or not?

sorry for all of the questions, havn't even decided if I want to move over there yet!lol, just keeping my options open

Thanks, rebecca

plantpot

Hear hear....

The_Pom_From_Aus

Level 1 range 1 is the basic level for the position for SSO (School service Officer).

Grade 6 is just the level of the position offered by the education dept for the duties performed.

Fixed Term means its a contract it could be 3 months, 6 months, 12 months it all depends on the funding for the students from the government.

if you see an advertisement for Ongoing in a school they are full time with NO contracts. They are the ones you want in the end, most schools now employ people to start as Fixed Term in case they are crap then they have the option to get rid at the end of the contract.

48/52 means you get all 10 weeks school holidays with pay + public holidays
(Not a bad life you may say).

Time fraction 0.8 works out to be 4 days per week, example 05. = 2 & 1/2 days per week, 1.0 is full time Monday to Friday.

you can obtain the pay scales from any school in your area just phone them explain your interested in the SSO jobs in schools, they are all very helpful.

all the best i hope this info is Ok for you.

if i can be of any more help just ask

Jaycee1

Thanks for all your replies.
I am a TA in UK current job description is Outreach Intervention which means I go in schools for 3 weeks observing, modelling and making resources to assist staff in dealing with children either ASD or speech, language and communication difficulties.
Also arrange training, write reports towards additional funding or statement process and do all the stuff school has no time to do!
But I don't believe they do this in Victoria...
J x

quoll

Australian teacher aides have no responsibility for the class - if they do then the teacher would be in strife if something happened because the duty of care belongs to the class teacher. Teacher unions have fought long and hard against the employment of paraprofessionals over the years.

Aides should not be writing programs or reports - that should be the teacher's job. They are there to implement programs, wipe bottoms, listen to reading, cut up paper for craft activities etc. Many aide positions require no training at all although integration aides are now being encouraged to do TAFE courses to get them certIII or similar status. That accounts for why they are so poorly paid - they are basically another pair of hands in the classroom.

Edited to say, I think the 48/52 is the lower rate of pay because you arent employed for the full 52 weeks so get less in your hand to accommodate the time you arent face to face.

Petals

Para anything in Australia is considered not the real thing and degrees are required.

Its the same in the health system the doctors have practice nurses but they do not do much other than change dressings from my experience. The doctors do everything.

Most people here in Australia would be upset if the teacher was not a graduate teacher and the doctor did not attend to them.

As Quoll says most teachers aids do not have any qualifications and its usually word of mouth or someone who has been affiliated with the school for some time that gets these positions.

Also the schools have budgets and it depends on how the principal wants to spend the money and whether he/she needs additional help in the classroom.

Jaycee1

Will work in special schools then - sounds more appreciative!
I am attached to a special school too. Dare i ask if the grading system for payscales is the same?
J x

ABCDiamond

I agree with you 100%.

An example of NSW Teachers pay rates from Jan 2009

$52,745 Four-year-trained teacher (eg BEd, BA/BTeach) – Salary Step 5
$55,458 Five-year-trained teacher (eg BA/MTeach, BSc/MTeach, BEd/BA, BEd/BSc) – Salary Step 6
$78,667 Highest salary-scale classification of classroom teacher – Salary Step 13
$90,532 Subject head teacher in a secondary school
$105,703 Deputy principal (secondary or primary school)
$126,438 Primary school principal (Grade 1)
$135,204 Secondary school principal (Grade 1)

Compared to a desk job such as:
Call Centre customer service person Salary $44,380 - $55,169
Call Centre experience is not essential however customer service experience will be viewed favourably. Comprehensive training will be provided.

The $55,169 would be after a few years training at talking to people on the phone....... (compared to a Five-year-trained teacher)