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Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
My wife and I had a SIR visa to work in Australia. My wife sought a primary teaching post to fulfil the needs of the visa, whilst I continued to work in the Uk. So we were running two houses, two cars etc.
My wife has made 60 applications for posts but never got a job. This is because almost all of the jobs are not real vacancies. Many of the posts in Australia are on short (3 month, 6 month contracts) which, when they come to an end, have to be advertised by law. In wife's experience these "jobs" then go back to the current post holder. She has impressed many times at interview but still the post goes to the exisiting post holder. Beware also the displaced teacher i.e the ones who are surplus to requirements at other schools. They have automatic right to any vacancy. My wife has done plenty of CRT (supply) work but this doesn't cover the bills, or fulfil the requirements of the visa. Even Australian teachers will say that it takes 1.5 to 2 years for them to get a job. We estimate it has cost us A$65000 to discover all this and so, reluctantly we have had to give up. The assistance we have had from the SIR people has been minimal. We were assigned a contact on arrival but she has made no contact, and has been of little help when we contacted her. Don't expect any assistance in getting a job. The only contact my wife has had is to ask why she hasdn't got Private Health Insurance. The answer was simple - not earning enough to cover basis costs let alone insurance! What would have really helped was knowing in advance that the employment possibilities in teaching would be limited. We have even considered moving state to secure work but contact with education advisers in all the other states has confirmed the same employment difficulties. Finally my wife's experience in Australian schools has shown them to be years behind in standards compared to the UK system. They talk about raising standards but this is not evident in the schools. Planning is superficial and there are no school assessments systems that measure the progress made by children. They are strong on teamwork, and "Tribe" work but, in general, there is a very "laissez faire" attitude to schooling. They also seem to tolerate poor behaviour in a way that would not be tolerated in the UK, having little or no structures to deal with it. Against this backdrop a UK teacher would find themselves not only a bit of a threat to other teachers, but also disappointed. So our dream ends. We have loved living in Australia but unfortunately were given false hope. I do hope that this contribution helps others before they invest an awful lot of money. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Hi,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Can I ask which part of Australia your wife was trying to get teaching work in? It is worrying that a lot of advertised jobs are not actual vacancies. I'm a teacher and planning the move to Victoria in Dec this year. I am quite open to trying other things though if it's looking like I can't secure work teaching. I love teaching but came into it late and have other skills so pretty flexible. I am secondary and although it's still very competive, I'm told not so competitive as primary :unsure:. I have collegues that that been there and got the job so I'm going out there hopeful but realistic. I have International Baccalaureate experience which is more common in Oz than the UK so hoping that will give me a chance. If all else fails I might have to go back into the IT industry :(. I hope everything works out for you and your wife. Janet X |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I understand that it is easier in the secondary phase especially in certain subjects.
We did consider employment out of teaching but our experience her was that most of it was casual and, again, the needs of the visa would not be met. We tried for about a year and a half but in the end we couldn't afford to finance it. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I am really sorry to hear it did not work out. My wife is a primary school teacher and is hoping to work at some stage in Oz when we arrive. Its a shame it did not work out for you as you were happy with the life style.
Good luck in the future. Mick |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Well i thought i would add our experience of finding teaching jobs in Australia..
Within two weeks of arriving my husband was offered a job(not temp) he did not even apply a friend of ours was doing a small job in the school and had mentioned steve and they asked him to phone in..few days later (after interview)they offered him a full time job..he also sent his references into a different school and they have also offered him a job..He is secondary but is teaching middle school here..Jackie. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Hi
I am really sorry to hear about your experience; I have been told many times that primary positions are very difficult to het hold of particularly in certain states. If you really wanted the OZ life and were willing to give it another go have you thought of WA? I know for a fact they are desparate for teachers and will allocate you a job on arrival and also help with accomodation (sometimes this is free if you are placed in a remote area). This type of visa allows you to apply for PR after two years and also would enable your wife to get 2 years Oz work experience under her belt which would help when applying for other jobs. As for me, I am a secondary teacher in what is classed as a shortage subject. I have been sponsored on an stni 137 to victoria so hope I will not encounter the same problems; I certainly do not have enough funds behind me not to be working for long. I wish you all the best and hope if you really want the OZ life that you persue some different avenues:thumbup: |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Hello,
sorry to here you have had such an awful time and little support. We are here on sponsorship by WA. They could not have been more helpful. Hubby is Primary teacher and all has been fine, hubby had a primary job allocated before we got here. We are now sitting in 4 bedroom modern house with garden (provided by WA Ed), and all is going well. No we are not in the middle of a desert! We are in coastal touristy/fishing town. Which is picturesque and pleasant. Also get free flights to Perth once per year. Salary is ok and get pension. My advice if you still want to give Oz a go is try WA. They can fast track your application and you could be working within a few weeks. The schools will be rural but its ok if you like outdoors. Just sent you pm GEMS |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I was really interested to read your reply and would like to hear how you did this because our interviews with WA made it absolutely clear that they had more primary teachers than they needed and didn't need any more!
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Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Hello,
This scheme is fairly new and not advertised. We heard of it by chance. The jobs are not in the city, and maybe you spoke with someone who deals with innercity jobs. As we were allocated a school and brought to Oz in a matter of a few weeks. So must be shortage of some kind. I have sent you a private Message with the contact details in case you are interested in asking about working in WA. Only this contact will have the right info for you. *However jobs are rural and not in the city. GEMS |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by freckles1970
(Post 5150240)
Hi
I am really sorry to hear about your experience; I have been told many times that primary positions are very difficult to het hold of particularly in certain states. If you really wanted the OZ life and were willing to give it another go have you thought of WA? I know for a fact they are desparate for teachers and will allocate you a job on arrival and also help with accomodation (sometimes this is free if you are placed in a remote area). This type of visa allows you to apply for PR after two years and also would enable your wife to get 2 years Oz work experience under her belt which would help when applying for other jobs. As for me, I am a secondary teacher in what is classed as a shortage subject. I have been sponsored on an stni 137 to victoria so hope I will not encounter the same problems; I certainly do not have enough funds behind me not to be working for long. I wish you all the best and hope if you really want the OZ life that you persue some different avenues:thumbup: The education in WA is in tatters. They follow no cirriculum. I visited my kids school last month. The teachers were honest and said with the shortage and system they follow, they are very worried. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Has anyone else had experience of getting primary school jobs in WA?
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Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I would also like to hear more about jobs for primary school teachers in WA and jobs for special needs teachers in WA.
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Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I too am sorry to hear of the problems people have had in finding work.
I have a friend who moved over here to the UK for 2 years to work as a teacher as she couldn't get a job where she wanted (in her part of Tas), but jobs were going in other areas of Tas, she just didn't want to move there! It seems like the problem is the opposite of that in the UK - people don't want to teach in the rural settings. I am lucky - as a single lass I am able to go to wherever the jobs are, so I'm bracing myself for a couple of years without nightclubs & other city stuff before I can acrue enough 'seniority' - then you are more likely to be placed in the areas you would like to be living in! As an aside/reminder that the UK is no better (& has terrible weather to boot!!) - I now live 260 miles away from my family here in the UK because I couldn't get a job in a 'decent' school in the North East of England. I had to move to an area where I had no friends or family & I knew nothing of the area, but I survived & after 5 years I love my job & have GREAT friends who I have found along the way. I believe Oz will test me just as much, if not more, but I can't wait for the adventure! Good luck to everyone - whatever stage of the process you are at! :thumbsup: |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I am a single lass too going over to teach, which state are you going to?
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Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by nonemigrator
(Post 5142838)
My wife and I had a SIR visa to work in Australia. My wife sought a primary teaching post to fulfil the needs of the visa, whilst I continued to work in the Uk. So we were running two houses, two cars etc.
My wife has made 60 applications for posts but never got a job. This is because almost all of the jobs are not real vacancies. Many of the posts in Australia are on short (3 month, 6 month contracts) which, when they come to an end, have to be advertised by law. In wife's experience these "jobs" then go back to the current post holder. She has impressed many times at interview but still the post goes to the exisiting post holder. Beware also the displaced teacher i.e the ones who are surplus to requirements at other schools. They have automatic right to any vacancy. My wife has done plenty of CRT (supply) work but this doesn't cover the bills, or fulfil the requirements of the visa. Even Australian teachers will say that it takes 1.5 to 2 years for them to get a job. We estimate it has cost us A$65000 to discover all this and so, reluctantly we have had to give up. The assistance we have had from the SIR people has been minimal. We were assigned a contact on arrival but she has made no contact, and has been of little help when we contacted her. Don't expect any assistance in getting a job. The only contact my wife has had is to ask why she hasdn't got Private Health Insurance. The answer was simple - not earning enough to cover basis costs let alone insurance! What would have really helped was knowing in advance that the employment possibilities in teaching would be limited. We have even considered moving state to secure work but contact with education advisers in all the other states has confirmed the same employment difficulties. Finally my wife's experience in Australian schools has shown them to be years behind in standards compared to the UK system. They talk about raising standards but this is not evident in the schools. Planning is superficial and there are no school assessments systems that measure the progress made by children. They are strong on teamwork, and "Tribe" work but, in general, there is a very "laissez faire" attitude to schooling. They also seem to tolerate poor behaviour in a way that would not be tolerated in the UK, having little or no structures to deal with it. Against this backdrop a UK teacher would find themselves not only a bit of a threat to other teachers, but also disappointed. So our dream ends. We have loved living in Australia but unfortunately were given false hope. I do hope that this contribution helps others before they invest an awful lot of money. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Yes we intend writing to the relevant authorities and making the above points.
We have tried WA but you have to have been born after 1965 to be taken on the STNI scheme. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by freckles1970
(Post 5161495)
I am a single lass too going over to teach, which state are you going to?
All of my plans are flexible and at least another 18 months away, so I have a while to find out bits & bobs yet! Where are you going? You can PM me the reply if you like & we can compare 'notes'! |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by Gems
(Post 5150392)
Hello,
sorry to here you have had such an awful time and little support. We are here on sponsorship by WA. They could not have been more helpful. Hubby is Primary teacher and all has been fine, hubby had a primary job allocated before we got here. We are now sitting in 4 bedroom modern house with garden (provided by WA Ed), and all is going well. No we are not in the middle of a desert! We are in coastal touristy/fishing town. Which is picturesque and pleasant. Also get free flights to Perth once per year. Salary is ok and get pension. My advice if you still want to give Oz a go is try WA. They can fast track your application and you could be working within a few weeks. The schools will be rural but its ok if you like outdoors. Just sent you pm GEMS I just read you message which gave me hope after reading someone's bad experience for finding a teaching post in a primary school. My husband and I have just got our visa and are planning to go to Perth in Jan 2008. I am a primary school teacher and thought that I would only be able to secure a post on arrival as I read that you had to do a conversion course - first aid and other bits - is that right? How did your husband manage to get a post before arriving - by applying directly to schools or through an agency? Thanks in advance for your advice. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by Gems
(Post 5150392)
Hello,
sorry to here you have had such an awful time and little support. We are here on sponsorship by WA. They could not have been more helpful. Hubby is Primary teacher and all has been fine, hubby had a primary job allocated before we got here. We are now sitting in 4 bedroom modern house with garden (provided by WA Ed), and all is going well. No we are not in the middle of a desert! We are in coastal touristy/fishing town. Which is picturesque and pleasant. Also get free flights to Perth once per year. Salary is ok and get pension. My advice if you still want to give Oz a go is try WA. They can fast track your application and you could be working within a few weeks. The schools will be rural but its ok if you like outdoors. Just sent you pm GEMS It sounds as though you've had a really positive experience in finding a teaching post in WA and I wondered whether I could possibly email you and ask you some questions, if you have time please? Many thanks in advance and I'm sure the sun in shining there. Can't wait to get to WA though slightly nervous at the mo. Thanks. Jo. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Hi there,
just thought I would put in a little more WA input in this thread. I have been trying to get into the State school system but there is no chance to get a permanent position if you are not prepared to teach in 'whoop whoop' for at least a year. Which is probably the main reason for the teachers shortage at the moment. I have started a job as a teachers assistant in a private school here in Margaret River, and have now started to teach there on a permanent basis. Not fulltime, but at least it is a start. The assistant work actually provided a very useful learning process because the school system here is completely different from the one in the Netherlands where I am from originally. Best of luck everyone! |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by nonemigrator
(Post 5142838)
My wife and I had a SIR visa to work in Australia. My wife sought a primary teaching post to fulfil the needs of the visa, whilst I continued to work in the Uk. So we were running two houses, two cars etc.
My wife has made 60 applications for posts but never got a job. This is because almost all of the jobs are not real vacancies. Many of the posts in Australia are on short (3 month, 6 month contracts) which, when they come to an end, have to be advertised by law. In wife's experience these "jobs" then go back to the current post holder. She has impressed many times at interview but still the post goes to the exisiting post holder. Beware also the displaced teacher i.e the ones who are surplus to requirements at other schools. They have automatic right to any vacancy. My wife has done plenty of CRT (supply) work but this doesn't cover the bills, or fulfil the requirements of the visa. Even Australian teachers will say that it takes 1.5 to 2 years for them to get a job. We estimate it has cost us A$65000 to discover all this and so, reluctantly we have had to give up. The assistance we have had from the SIR people has been minimal. We were assigned a contact on arrival but she has made no contact, and has been of little help when we contacted her. Don't expect any assistance in getting a job. The only contact my wife has had is to ask why she hasdn't got Private Health Insurance. The answer was simple - not earning enough to cover basis costs let alone insurance! What would have really helped was knowing in advance that the employment possibilities in teaching would be limited. We have even considered moving state to secure work but contact with education advisers in all the other states has confirmed the same employment difficulties. Finally my wife's experience in Australian schools has shown them to be years behind in standards compared to the UK system. They talk about raising standards but this is not evident in the schools. Planning is superficial and there are no school assessments systems that measure the progress made by children. They are strong on teamwork, and "Tribe" work but, in general, there is a very "laissez faire" attitude to schooling. They also seem to tolerate poor behaviour in a way that would not be tolerated in the UK, having little or no structures to deal with it. Against this backdrop a UK teacher would find themselves not only a bit of a threat to other teachers, but also disappointed. So our dream ends. We have loved living in Australia but unfortunately were given false hope. I do hope that this contribution helps others before they invest an awful lot of money. any job that comes up there is usually someone already in it. I,m a 1 2 1 special needs ca and next year would be my last year, but if another job came up i would get it automatically. however it doesn't matter as hopefully i will be in oz!:unsure: is it the same i presume for classroom assistants over there?:blink: |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by Gems
(Post 5150392)
Hello,
sorry to here you have had such an awful time and little support. We are here on sponsorship by WA. They could not have been more helpful. Hubby is Primary teacher and all has been fine, hubby had a primary job allocated before we got here. We are now sitting in 4 bedroom modern house with garden (provided by WA Ed), and all is going well. No we are not in the middle of a desert! We are in coastal touristy/fishing town. Which is picturesque and pleasant. Also get free flights to Perth once per year. Salary is ok and get pension. My advice if you still want to give Oz a go is try WA. They can fast track your application and you could be working within a few weeks. The schools will be rural but its ok if you like outdoors. Just sent you pm GEMS Great to hear that WA has been successful. I have my teleconference interview in October for the WA sponsorship programme. Could you give me some advice on the type of questions they ask? Also you say that you have a four bedroom place, is this because you have children? We have three under five, do they take this into consideration? Hope you can help me with this. Thank you. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by Vooson
(Post 5264772)
Hi Gems
Great to hear that WA has been successful. I have my teleconference interview in October for the WA sponsorship programme. Could you give me some advice on the type of questions they ask? Also you say that you have a four bedroom place, is this because you have children? We have three under five, do they take this into consideration? Hope you can help me with this. Thank you. Thanks. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Sent you pm
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Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I wouldnt recommend trying the ACT education department - it is very difficult to get permanency here especially for primary teachers although they say that there are vacancies for specialist secondary teachers - maths and science always seem to be in high demand. It would appear that if you specialize (special ed is also usually high demand) then you are in with a better shot.
Interesting to hear your opinion of the system here too. I must admit I had thought the same thing as you but it is years since I have had anything to do with UK education and from various reports about the failings there I was unsure about the relative standards. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by Gems
(Post 5150392)
Hello,
sorry to here you have had such an awful time and little support. We are here on sponsorship by WA. They could not have been more helpful. Hubby is Primary teacher and all has been fine, hubby had a primary job allocated before we got here. We are now sitting in 4 bedroom modern house with garden (provided by WA Ed), and all is going well. No we are not in the middle of a desert! We are in coastal touristy/fishing town. Which is picturesque and pleasant. Also get free flights to Perth once per year. Salary is ok and get pension. My advice if you still want to give Oz a go is try WA. They can fast track your application and you could be working within a few weeks. The schools will be rural but its ok if you like outdoors. Just sent you pm GEMS |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by I_Will_Freckle
(Post 5290610)
Can you send you me a link to the WA sponsorship programme? My SIL is a teacher and she is interested.
Thanks. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
You should check first if you are eligible for a skilled visa. This could then be a permanent visa which would not restrict you on location or occupation when you get to Australia.
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Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Hi there looking into teaching in WA. You mentioned in one of your threads that you had some information of someone to contact regarding this. Would be a great help if you could pass this on to me too. Also you talked about the B.Ed 3 year degree is there a problem if you have one of these?
Thanks QUOTE=Gems;5150392]Hello, sorry to here you have had such an awful time and little support. We are here on sponsorship by WA. They could not have been more helpful. Hubby is Primary teacher and all has been fine, hubby had a primary job allocated before we got here. We are now sitting in 4 bedroom modern house with garden (provided by WA Ed), and all is going well. No we are not in the middle of a desert! We are in coastal touristy/fishing town. Which is picturesque and pleasant. Also get free flights to Perth once per year. Salary is ok and get pension. My advice if you still want to give Oz a go is try WA. They can fast track your application and you could be working within a few weeks. The schools will be rural but its ok if you like outdoors. Just sent you pm GEMS[/QUOTE] |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by teach9
(Post 5537291)
Also you talked about the B.Ed 3 year degree is there a problem if you have one of these?
Technically the 3 year degree is not recognised in Australia - you have to have done 4 years at uni (3 yrs + pgce or 4 yrs degree with QTS). Therefore you have complications with satisfying "Teaching Australia" who assess your skills inorder for you to claim points for your visa. We have got round this, as I could get enough points on my own, without claiming for Kates points. However, we now have the same problem satisfying "The Queensland College of Teacher" so that Kate can register to teach in QLD. We've been investigating this, and have taken it up with QCT with the support of SHU. We're are still waiting to here how we get on with that and still see it as a "gamble"... We've been discussing this issue here: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=466301 |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I am having a bad bad day! In April I started a PGCE in primary education in order to qualify to go to WA on the sponsered programme. I had my qualifications checked by the relevant department and made contact with those responsible for the WA sponsered programme. All was acceptable. I complete my PGCE in December 2008 and intended to go to WA in January 2009. Great plan:)
I emailed those running the programme this week to find out if any dates had been published for start dates in January 2009. I received an email back saying 'sorry but we are no longer short of primary school teachers and therefore will not be recruiting'.:confused: Currently sat with a beer wondering what to do next...anyone got any ideas? In desperate need of a plan B........please let me know if there are any other ways to get to aus...Thank you. |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Teaching is still a recognised skill, so if you can get qualified you could apply for Skilled Visa 175, providing you meet the points requirement (120).
perhaps investigate that route? Obviously there's no guarantee of a job once you get there... Obviously it helps if you have experience as well as qualifications (an extra 10 points). |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Have you looked at other states? What about Tasmania?
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Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Sorry,
as of September 1st they no longer take Primary teachers on the sponsorship. Primary is not as much a shortage as High School around Oz. However you could qualify and put in for your own Permanent visa and come over. However this will require a couple of years teaching experience. Victoria were sponsoring temp visa for Primary teachers. But not sure the details. I would have a look on each states website and see what available. It is possible to come to Austalia it just might be a different route for you. GEMS |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Probably a bit late now but could you convert to a HS speciality or special ed? Maths and science are generally the needy areas or special ed especially behaviour or autism. Sorry to hear about your bad day. I dont suppose you are a psychologist are you? There seems to be a dearth of ed psych/school counsellors too!!!
PS for a plan B you could always do what I did, if you arent already married you could fall in love with a blonde bronzed Aussie and come here as a missus (just joking!!!) |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Thanks guys for all your sound suggestions. I will pick myself up off the floor and start work on the plan B! Life is never straight forward!
Would a years work experience be sufficient to get work or do I really need two? Life would not be so complicated if it wasn't for the fact that I have a 2year old son and a husband. It would be difficult to set out with no job or security which is why the WA sponsored programme would have been so great. Does the Aussie system cater for if I came over on a holiday and spoke with heads to see if I could secure a job? Thanks to the great posts I at least now have a plan C which is bin the husband and marry a wealthy, good looking aussie surfer! :thumbsup: |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Teaching opportunities in NZ
We’ve summarised the main teaching opportunities that exist currently in New Zealand schools and early childhood (ECE) services to help you with your decision making. While we’ve emphasised the main opportunities which exist now, New Zealand has an ongoing need for experienced and well-qualified teachers. Early childhood teachers (ECE) - new professional registration requirements for early childhood teachers in New Zealand, and the high participation rate in early childhood education are placing pressure on ECE teacher numbers. At this point there are no UK ECE qualifications that are equivalent to 3 -year NZ ECE diploma or degree. Primary teachers - currently vacancies are greatest in Auckland where an increasing population is placing pressure on all teaching sectors. The recent Government announcement regarding increased primary staffing levels will create more employment opportunities for primary teachers in the near future. Primary teachers with a minimum of three years relevant teaching experience are now listed on Immigration New Zealand's Immediate Skill Shortage list for work permits or residency. Secondary teachers - teachers of maths, physics, chemistry and technology are in particular demand. Special education teachers - qualified, experienced teachers of children with learning or behavioural issues and those working with children with physical disabilities are sought after. Auckland - with its rapidly increasing population Auckland is experiencing teacher supply pressure in all sectors - primary and secondary schools, and early childhood services. The majority of overseas-trained teachers appointed to New Zealand schools have come from countries with strong language, cultural or educational similarities to New Zealand such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. http://www.teachnz.govt.nz/overseas-...-opportunities |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Australia trawls widely for teachers
Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith says the State Government has to be strategic about expanding its teacher recruitment. “Many teachers are approaching retirement age and we need to plan ahead, so recruiting interstate and overseas is smart,†she said. The exodus of Baby Boomer retirees over the next decade is expected to create shortages, with a lack of maths and science teachers already emerging. Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith said a major analysis of SA’s future public school workforce requirements was being undertaken by the University of Adelaide.She said the new website www.teachinginsa.sa.edu.au was part of an ongoing effort to recruit and keep teachers. http://www.australiantimes.co.uk/news.aspx?ID=677 |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
Originally Posted by Gems
(Post 5150392)
Hello,
sorry to here you have had such an awful time and little support. We are here on sponsorship by WA. They could not have been more helpful. Hubby is Primary teacher and all has been fine, hubby had a primary job allocated before we got here. We are now sitting in 4 bedroom modern house with garden (provided by WA Ed), and all is going well. No we are not in the middle of a desert! We are in coastal touristy/fishing town. Which is picturesque and pleasant. Also get free flights to Perth once per year. Salary is ok and get pension. My advice if you still want to give Oz a go is try WA. They can fast track your application and you could be working within a few weeks. The schools will be rural but its ok if you like outdoors. Just sent you pm GEMS Thanks! |
Re: Thinking of teaching in Australia - don't
I am an ex-pat Brit living in Cairns, Far North Queensland.
I just want to say that "rural and remote" will not be like living in the country in England. Australia is huge. There are big distances between towns. At first you will probably find the remote life a shock. But actually you grow to like the space that we have here in Australia and I find Europe very crowded and unpleasant - and cold - now. I would be asking questions about the accommodation. I would want to know if the house contained any asbestos and if so, where it was. I'd want to know if any of the classrooms at the school contained asbestos. There should be a state asbestos register. I taught in a classroom on Thursday Island that had holes in the ceiling, walls and floors. At that time we did not know that the classrooms and our flats were made of asbestos. Also the water - does it come from a tank? There is a risk of lead etc. poisoning from the drain pipes. Does the house have good locks - absolutely vital - and fly screens? Will you have air-conditioning? All of these things will make a big difference to your lives. I'd also be emailing PLATOWA and asking for advice about the community that I was being sent to. What conditions are like there. Some communities have big problems. It is all a bit of a pig in a poke. But it will be an experience. Give it a go. I migrated in 74 and I have never wanted to go back to England. |
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