claire600

Hi there,

I'm a ICT secondary school teacher in the UK. I have a degree in computing and IT and qualified as a techer via the GTP route. I have also completed my NQT year and have a total of 3 years teaching experience.

I applied to the Nova Scotia department of education for a teaching certificate. I recieved a reply stating that my training did not meet the requirements of sections:

30D(b) a minimum of a 2 year (60 credit hours) program of professional teacher education

30S for a bridging teachers certificate as this requires a minimum of 30 credit hours of theory!

How dissapointing

Claire

Remya

Sorry, but I could've told you before you applied that the GTP isn't accepted here in Canada. It caused quite a bit of fuss on the TES board but at the end of the day, c'est la vie. Sorry to hear it, though.

claire600

Remya

Are you telling me no GTP teachers have ever received a teaching certificate in Canada?

My understanding was it depends which province you apply to ... wouldn't it make it easier if the requirements stated NO GTP teachers, if that is the case.

Claire

JAJ

There seem to be recognition problems in Australia too, while other teachers who have the PGCE or a four year teaching degree have relatively few problems with the Australian authorities.




Jeremy

suebed

How are you rejected GTPers getting on in Canada? have you changed careers? started additional training? I am particularly interested in ICT teachers as the Canadian curriculum looks a lot different than in the UK. The schools we looked around for my kids in Ontario all had blackboards still. Not an IWB in sight and computers looked like antiques.

claire600

I have taken a year out of teaching to spend time working on the house in Nova Scotia. We are returning to the Uk and I am starting a new teaching job in September in Surrey. I'm really looking forward to it

When/if we got our visa's in a couple of years I will hopefully work in adult education . or some other area where I can use my experience ... I am defiantly NOT retraining in Canada

Claire

suebed

Thanks for the reply.

I've just qualified in the UK (GTP - ICT) and I know that I face retraining in Canada if I want to keep teaching. We're moving this summer so I imagine I'll spend a year out of teaching - maybe volunteering my children's schools - and then apply to do a 1 year teacher training program at one of the universities that offer it. As I've only been teaching for just 18 months I'm not too mortally offended by the prospect of further training - means to an end and all that - but I'm not sure I want to teach in Canada. Don't know what I'd teach actually.

Just out of curiosity, why are you so definite that you are NOT retraining in Canada?

claire600

Just out of curiosity, why are you so definite that you are NOT retraining in Canada?[/QUOTE]

I did a 4 year degree in ICT as a mature student and then spent 18 months working in London ... I began teaching as an unqualified teacher for a year before I could begin my GTP, as the school wanted a funded place.

I then completed my NQT year last year. I am just not happy about doing anymore training right now. I would consider doing a Masters but not retraining as a teacher, it just seems pointless, I'm 36 years old and have just qualified!

I was hoping that they would eventually recognise the GTP course in Canada as so many people are training this way.

I will not be living here for at least 3 years so I may feel different then.

Claire

seabass

I did a 4 year degree in ICT as a mature student and then spent 18 months working in London ... I began teaching as an unqualified teacher for a year before I could begin my GTP, as the school wanted a funded place.

I then completed my NQT year last year. I am just not happy about doing anymore training right now. I would consider doing a Masters but not retraining as a teacher, it just seems pointless, I'm 36 years old and have just qualified!

I was hoping that they would eventually recognise the GTP course in Canada as so many people are training this way.

I will not be living here for at least 3 years so I may feel different then.

Claire[/QUOTE]

Just so you know, it isn't just GTP that are rejected. I just had a friend rejected after doing a PGCE for the same reason. Only a 1 year course. Crazy if you ask me since the 2 year PGCE is for people who need to brush up on subject knowledge.

suebed

But from what I can see, there are plenty of 1 year post degree teaching programmes around at various institutions (in BC & Ontario anyhow)? These look similar to a PGCE to me.

seabass

Yeah I am only talking about Alberta here, not sure it'sthe same in other provinces

Juliew

Hi Claire,

I am sorry to hear about your dissappointment. Generally speaking the majority of provinces will not accept the GTP route as you probably already know. Furthermore, some won't accept the PGSE. Currently, there is an oversupply of teachers in Canada and even Canadian trained teachers are having to work as a supply teacher for a least a year. I believe that Nova Scotia has an oversupply of teacher (probably not in IT). Given this, the provinces are able to be very selective with qualifications. If you are planning on returning to Canada I would encourage you to continue your schooling (even if they accept the GTP). The reasoning is that in many provinces your pay is determined by not only by how many years of work experience you have, but also by the number of years of education you have. As such the pay for three years of education (most provinces consider UK degrees as three years of education) is quite a bit lower than someone that has five or six years of education.

As a last point, please note that up until the late 1990's a Canadian trained teacher in one province had to retrain to teach in another province.

ALEX A

My girlfriend has GTP qualification in UK and we want to Emigrate to OZ. I have permanent residency. Does anyone know if she can teach with this qualification ?. Apparently if varies state to state and some people have got in...anyone know of anyone would be great