Karno

Is anybody a primary teacher in NZ or know much about it?
On the Immediate Skill Shortage List it says that they're looking for Montessori teachers. However, on the skills list it says only a Diploma of Teaching (Early Childhood Education) is required. Can anyone clear this up?

RobClubley

My wife has just qualified as a primary teacher. She might be able to help. I'll ask her for you!
She's just taken a postgraduate one year course but to teach Montessori she would require another course.

Am Loolah

Hi and welcome,

The Ton half of Wiz&Ton is a primary school teacher - they are based in Christchurch. I think you need 3+ posts before you can PM her, but she would be worth talking to.

Do you teach primary or pre-school?

Karno

I've just started a PGCE in primary care but I'm a bit worried as the skills list skips primary education (5-11) Do you think it is still possible to be eligible?
Also it doesn't stipulate about experience. I have nearly 7 years experience of teaching English in Japan to kids ranging from 3-18 but worried if it will count for anything.

Karno

oops, that should read "in primary education"

pp15doodoo

Hi Karno

My wife (Antonia) is a primary school teacher in the UK and we are looking into emigrating to NZ - I'm quite new around here, but this is our understanding of stuff...

The Early Childhood Education Diploma is a New Zealand specific qualification and there are no equivalent UK qualifications. This makes it very difficult for anyone from the UK to meet this qualification standard.

Primary school teachers are now listed on the immediate skills shortage list - this is different from the long term skills shortage list, but the upshot is - get a job and you'll get in!!

The requirements for meeting Primary / Seconary Teacher qualification requirements are a bit confusing - some advice seems to indicate that only a dedicated teaching degree or post graduate diploma (ie a masters rather than pgce) is good enough.

However, other advice seems to indicate that other qualifications can be assessed to see if they are equivalent - we are waiting for assessment of Antonias qualifications at the moment which are a Psychology degree and PGCE in Early Years education.

There are others on here who are more qualified to answer your question though - and beware of the above - the addage of a little knowledge being dangerous may apply here!!

Good luck though - and one bit of advice I'd definitely give is get the qualification assessment application in early - we sent ours in initially in September, have sent in further info and course transcripts etc and are still waiting to hear.

Matt

pp15doodoo

The New Zealand Qualification Authority website is here...

http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/

The teach nz website has loads of useful stuff on it...

http://www.teachnz.govt.nz/default.aspx

And here...

http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/r...w/eligibility/

Karno

thanks for the info Matt, It's given me plenty to look into

Wiz'n'Ton

Hi there Karno, and welcome to the forum. As Am Loolah mentions, my wife Toni is a primary school teacher with a BaHons teaching degree and 4 years UK experience.

We were originally going to emigrate to NZ by applying for permanent residency on the back of her getting a permanent teaching job.

However - there is one massive snag here in ChCh. Despite the NZ government advertising to recruit primary teachers, and there being a reported lack of primary teachers in NZ - ChCh is NOT one of those places.

We came here expecting T to get work in ChCh very quickly and easily. It could not have been further from the truth. T has applied for over 50 full time teaching positions, and been interviewed for one - which she did not get.

From anecdotal evidence it seems that the teacher shortage is in South Auckland and out in what the Kiwi's here call 'The wop wops' i.e. 100's of km's away from anywhere. Desirable places for immigrants such as ChCh have 100's of primary teachers looking for work. In fact, the problem here is so bad that some jobs T has applied for have had over 100 applicants.

There are many other issues at play here as well, such as the 'Beginning Teacher' issue which all 'new to NZ' teachers are labelled as regardless of how much UK experience you have - see the attached file clipped from the local paper recently.

Sorry to be so negative, but I do want to give those thinking of teaching in ChCh a bit of reality. If you are happy with South Auckers, or in a small village in the middle of no where, then I'm sure you'll find something OK.

If you still have the urge to come over on the basis of Primary Teaching, then I'll pick the brains of the missus to let you know how we did things.

Good luck with it, and if we can help don't hesitate to post up here.

Karno

Thanks for the info. I didn't realise the situation was that bad in NZ, I definitely need to do a lot of thinking and planning.

pp15doodoo

Crikey, that makes for pretty sobering reading for any teachers with their heart set on Christchurch!

Which is us!!

Any more info you can give us will be greatly appreciated

Wiz'n'Ton

I can't say that this is across NZ, as our experience is only here in ChCh - and that's where this article is also based. Other areas may be very different, but only research will reveal this I suppose.

All the best in whatever you choose.

Wiz'n'Ton

No worries - just ask and we will try to answer. If I recall correctly, the biggest problem for T was getting her teacher registration assessed by the NZQA, and then her practicing certificate issued by the New Zealand Teachers Council. It took nearly 6 months, and you cannot even supply teach here without it. Even if you are just vaguely looking at coming here, then try and get this up and running asap so that you have a head start.

Cheers.

EmandKen

Wiz
Do you know if it is the same with secondary teaching in Christhurch? Hope not.
Emma

wilekit

if you don't mind my asking, what is your wife doing now? She isn't teaching (and you must be so pleased you spent so much effort getting the damn teacher registration!), has she found it easy or difficult finding a job doing something else? We're coming out in 2 months, and my partner hasn't even begun the NZQA process yet! Most of his work experience has been on supply, and he's hit a bit of a brick wall trying to get employment records from the LEA. He's not even sure he wants to teach anymore really? I've got a job offer in Auckland, so he'll be able to get a general work visa, I'm just wondering what the general job market is like?