Experience needed to teach and pupils behaviour in Australia
 

I am currently a secondary English teacher in the UK. I have two years experience so far in a secondary school (3 years including my PGCE training). However I want to expand my expertise into A-level teaching. I have an interview for a 6th form college next week. However I'm in the process of seriously considering a move to Australia. I have heard that they want at least 3 years experience in a secondary school to teach over there not including training. If this is correct will experience in a 6th form college count towards this? I dont want to ruin my chances of a visa if I get offered this job next week and accept it! Also I'm hoping to move to the Perth area (I have family already there) and was wondering if anyone could give me an idea about what the pupil behaviour is like? As you probably all know behaviour in the UK is appalling and was just wondering what I could expect?


Thanks!:D

Re: Experience needed to teach and pupils behaviour in Australia
 

You don't need 3 years experience to work in Oz, you need 1 year (not including training) to be eligible for a skilled independent visa, and 3 years post qualification experience to get an extra 10 points which a lot of people find they need to actually get a visa. As to whether a sixth form college will count, I don't see why not but have a look at thsi site http://www.immi.gov.au/asri/occupati...er-2413-11.htm and see if your duties at the sixth form college would meet the requirements for a secondary school teacher.

As for behaviour, just like in the UK it depends on the school and the area. My first school in Oz had much worse behaviour that either of the UK schools I worked in. But it was in a rough area with terrible management. I personally don't find sweeping statements like "the behaviour in the UK is appalling" to be accurate or helpful.

Re: Experience needed to teach and pupils behaviour in Australia
 

Thanks for your reply I will check the website you posted. In my experience the behaviour of teenagers in the uk is appalling, although I know it will vary from school to school and there are some good schools in the UK which I have not had the opportunity to see!
I was wondering if things that go on a daily basis in UK schools such as assualts on teachers, abuse from parents etc is dealt with better in Australia. I recently spent a few weeks working as an assistant in Melbourne and found the pupils to be very well behaved and motivated as well as the school being well run with excellent facilities compared to what I have ever seen in the UK. However, I dont want to base all my ideas on one school I visited.

Re: Experience needed to teach and pupils behaviour in Australia
 

HI, hate to get on the bandwagon of " it depends on the school" but hereshopping is completely right.

I work in perth and have been doing relief for the last 6 months therefore working in all sorts of schools. I have also done years of teaching in London and Bristol where i thought the same about Uk behaviour -it was appalling. Now, however I am wiser and more experienced to know that this cannot be assumed or made into into a general statement. You get the same behaviour in the UK as you do in Australia in both primary and secondary schools, but it really does differ from school to school.
There will be bigger issues here for you than the behaviour anyways for example- the lack of a curriculum and so planning becomes very different from the UK way of teaching. That has been my biggest shock to the system in terms of using outcomes based learning like we used to in the UK, but you soon get used to it. Its very different here in many ways, but one thing you can depend on for sure, is that like the UK- each school IS different and you will not be able to generalise anywhere.

Hope this clarifies a few things for you. :unsure:

Laura

Re: Experience needed to teach and pupils behaviour in Australia
 

LoreleiLee- things like attacks on teachers, abusive parents etc do happen here yes. I really cannot generalise as to whether it is more or less common, or better dealt with.

I will say this, do your research carefully and consider doing CRT (supply) work when you first get here. That way you should be able to identify the better schools to work in either by direct experience or word of mouth. Then hopefully you will be able to get a job in one of these better school.

Re: Experience needed to teach and pupils behaviour in Australia
 

thank you for your replys and honesty all i seem to have heard on other forums is how good australian schools where. I will definately do supply if i move over.

Re: Experience needed to teach and pupils behaviour in Australia
 

That's all I heard before I came over as well, so the behaviour at my first school in Oz was a bit of a shock (it was by far the worst I have experienced in my teaching career). By contrast the behaviour at my current school is very good.

I think some people have their rose tinted glasses on if they are saying it is always better over here.