marymac

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'.

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.

Simon.and.Kate

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).

I_Will_Freckle

Have you looked at other states? What about Tasmania?

Gems

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

quoll

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!!!)

marymac

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!

waterlooo

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

waterlooo

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

comb0_6

Hi, my hubby is also considering teaching in Aus. We're based in Singapore and he's a teacher here in sunny island. I'm wondering how you got round to applying for a teaching position there in WA. Is it compulsury to register with WACOT in order to teach in WA?

Thanks!

annieapplepie

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.

Gems

Hello,

WA are going to start up the Primary teaching sponsorship again in 2010/11.

Combo, you can either come on Permanent visa or apply for 457 visa. They accept other nationalities on the scheme not just UK. I know teacher from Singapore, Canada, South Africa etc.

You will need WACOT registration to teach in WA.

Gems

daddyofthree

Just been given this site and I'm not sure whether many contribute regularly but here we go.
I'll be 44 when I move from the UK to WA and I'm a fully quallified PE teacher with 14 years of experience. I am currently Head of Faculty and pursuing the NPQH (Headship qualification) and on £43K. I also have 3 years of educational consultancy experience at a national level. I have a wife and 3 kids (aged 5,3,and 1) who need to be near good schooling and plenty of amenities etc so I need to be quite certain that I can obtain a job. We have a great house and I have a fantastic job with much potential for promotion but still want to make the move.
I'm happy to teach in both secondary, middle or primary school.
If you can suggest or advise on the likelihood of me getting a job, which sector to aim for or would purely like to share their experiences I would be very grateful. Thanks in advance.

annieapplepie

Hello Daddyofthree,
In WA you will get a job. You might not get a job in other Aus states because you would be at the top of the salary scale for a teacher. You might get some short-term contract work.
In WA the jobs available are the jobs that the Aussie teachers don't want. Look on the PLATOWA website for details of the living conditions in those communities. You would probably find yourself teaching out of your subject area.
As for your children - remote WA is not England. You can't expect to live an English lifestyle there. Your kids will not have the lives of English children. What sort of lives they have will depend on the community to which you are sent. Living in a remote community could be a terrific experience for a child, providing them with skills and experiance that will change their lives. Or it could be unpleasant.
You have a great house and job in England. But you have decided to step off the edge.
If you really want to do this, be ready for difference and to be open to enjoying the differences.
The remote life may be a shock at first.
I migrated in 1974 and in those days I thought that the Sunshine Coast in Queensland was a remote, boring sort of hell. Actually I still do.
But I spent three years living on Thursday Island (between Aus and PNG). A lot of things went wrong for me there. But I feel really, really feel lucky to have had the experience of life on T.I.. It was terrific. And I just love the space and the light and the warmth over here in Aus now. I could never return to the dark, gloomy, cold cities of Europe.
So, Daddyofthree - you will win some and you will lose some. You are jumping off the edge.

pricey74

Hi there...
I was really interested to read your message and wondered if yoou could offer me some help and advice........My partner and I are desperate to get out to Oz......I am a primary school teacher....
Can you recommend any sites to visit.....or any points of reference.....
Who do I need to contact about being fast tracked......and is it really possible to have a job allocated so quickly???? I have heard mixed reports about how easy it is to get teaching places!!
I do hope you can help,
Kind regrads ,
Liz

coolerkingcooler

Hi pricey74,
look through the teaching section and look for any threads along the lines of WA 457 visa etc.

Gems and a few others have posted a fair bit about rural teaching in WA - that's what you'll get with the program they have run until recently. You can try google by typing the state.gov eg victoria.gov then you'll see the Victoria's immigration website and you'll need to see if your on a sponsor list as Primary teaching isn't on the MODL or CSL. Basically read lots of info


Good luck,
Cooler