up to 100 new teaching jobs

[Jessica Berry]

This advert for newly qualified teachers was in the job paper today.

 

These jobs have come about as a result of the Government offering a $50,000 payment to 'encourage' older teachers to leave the profession.

[Guest tpgc03]

This advert for newly qualified teachers was in the job paper today.

 

These jobs have come about as a result of the Government offering a $50,000 payment to 'encourage' older teachers to leave the profession.

 

The jobs have been released and are on the DECS website. There are a number of HS and Primary jobs, you have to be a graduate from 2008 to apply for these posts. Have to say that Gov have been true to their word and have put this into place v v quickly, would have taken forever in the UK!

Good luck to those applying

[jenstev]

The jobs have been released and are on the DECS website. There are a number of HS and Primary jobs, you have to be a graduate from 2008 to apply for these posts. Have to say that Gov have been true to their word and have put this into place v v quickly, would have taken forever in the UK!

Good luck to those applying

 

do you need to have your visa in place first? And be registered? We're just in the last stages now and was wondering whether to apply anyway explaining my position?

[Guest cbeeb]

you need to be able to meet registration requirements when the job starts, I have heard the demand will be fierce so good luck permennet jobs are very rare

[Guest guest4504]

Goes to show how Ageist Oz is. '' would have taken forever in the UK!'' . But would not have got away with it though . So another 100 people on the scrap heap cos they are probably over 40.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Goes to show how Ageist Oz is. '' would have taken forever in the UK!'' . But would not have got away with it though . So another 100 people on the scrap heap cos they are probably over 40.

 

How come? Are only undergrads/21 year olds allowed to do teacher training in Aus?

 

I think we only had three people under the age of 25 on my PGCE course (one was me lol), the rest of the 30 were all from 30-50, most of them in their 40s - so if I had trained in 2008/9/10 rather than 2004, all of those would also be eligible from my reading of the advert and therefore - how is this ageist?

 

(btw I'm not arguing Oz isn't ageist - I have no idea either way, but don't understand why saying someone should be a recent graduate (and therefore up to date with the latest curriculum and fads) is an ageist comment to make).

[Guest guest4504]

How come? Are only undergrads/21 year olds allowed to do teacher training in Aus?

 

I think we only had three people under the age of 25 on my PGCE course (one was me lol), the rest of the 30 were all from 30-50, most of them in their 40s - so if I had trained in 2008/9/10 rather than 2004, all of those would also be eligible from my reading of the advert and therefore - how is this ageist?

 

(btw I'm not arguing Oz isn't ageist - I have no idea either way, but don't understand why saying someone should be a recent graduate (and therefore up to date with the latest curriculum and fads) is an ageist comment to make).

 

Ageist in reference to 50k to remove the older teachers, then offer the jobs to a younger grad. And also for younger grads to be up to date with latest curriculum and fads doesn't contend with older gen knowledge imho.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

Ageist in reference to 50k to remove the older teachers, then offer the jobs to a younger grad. And also for younger grads to be up to date with latest curriculum and fads doesn't contend with older gen knowledge imho.

 

I just don't get why graduates would be younger (or younger by much)?

 

Personally, I would love to get 50K if I were an older teacher, and then could go and do something else, I know with the changes coming in here (ie, working longer, paying more, getting less) a lot of my approaching retirement age teaching friends (and those over the age of 45 - not nec. approaching retirement, but completely knackered after too many years at the chalk face (in their words, not mine!) )would LOVE a sweetener to thank them for their years of good service and to set them up to do something else - I guess we just look at it from different angles

 

I guess the difference might be because Oz only really has young entrants as teachers, whereas in the UK most of the entrants to the profession (that I see/know) are much much older, having moved to teaching from another profession - is that the case in Oz?

[Toni]

I just don't get why graduates would be younger (or younger by much)?

 

Personally, I would love to get 50K if I were an older teacher, and then could go and do something else, I know with the changes coming in here (ie, working longer, paying more, getting less) a lot of my approaching retirement age teaching friends (and those over the age of 45 - not nec. approaching retirement, but completely knackered after too many years at the chalk face (in their words, not mine!) )would LOVE a sweetener to thank them for their years of good service and to set them up to do something else - I guess we just look at it from different angles

 

I guess the difference might be because Oz only really has young entrants as teachers, whereas in the UK most of the entrants to the profession (that I see/know) are much much older, having moved to teaching from another profession - is that the case in Oz?

 

I have two teaching friends over 40 (one over 50) who are in the same boat, completely knackered, one has already retired and the other would love to take the offer but can't yet. Also quite a few of my work colleagues are ex-teachers which sounds like a different scenario to the UK where people enter teaching in later years.

 

I think you are right in that a lot of good knowledge is going out the window and I think that the Government doesn't acknowledge that by offering this sweetener.

 

I sometimes wonder whether the Government has other motives in doing this because the older teachers are quite union oriented and have been very demanding in their pay rights for as long as I remember and wonder if it is a way of getting rid of those strong advocates. May be a jaded view I know.

[Guest Nick11]

This needs to be put in to perspective.

Only 100 teachers out of a workforce of 10,000 teachers have taken the offer of early retirement. Most are high school teachers..only 39 were primary teachers. The majority of the teaching workforce are over 55..this is a fact. So don't get too excited that teaching jobs will be plentiful..because to get a permanent teaching job is about on par with winning the lotto.

DECS are making a big thing about the fact they have given 700 contract teachers permanent jobs. Sounds good til you realise there are 12,000 teachers on temporary contracts.

Is it ageist????

Well my son's teacher in year one was 70!!!! She was absolutely terribly. Kids ran riot..worksheets every day...I am positive she was ion the first stages of dementia...and I am not kidding here. Parents took the register as her eyesight was too poor and one morning at 9.15 she told the kids to finish their spellings and get ready for hometime. I was there!!! Every day were irrate parents were at the principals office. This teacher was permanent. Decs had the lumbered the school with her and there wasn't anything they could do about it.

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

 

I sometimes wonder whether the Government has other motives in doing this because the older teachers are quite union oriented and have been very demanding in their pay rights for as long as I remember and wonder if it is a way of getting rid of those strong advocates. May be a jaded view I know.

 

IMHO I agree with the older, more demanding of rights etc - although its a two edged sword as in my experience they are so knackered from fighting unfair battles that have already been weighted in the Gov/SMTs favour they sort of think there is no point anymore - whereas fresh faced from uni (at least the younger, no other career/job types (huggge generalisation, I admit here!) tend to be far more accepting of things and scrub along, even when those things are blatantly breaking the law.

 

We can be jaded together

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

This needs to be put in to perspective.

Only 100 teachers out of a workforce of 10,000 teachers have taken the offer of early retirement. Most are high school teachers..only 39 were primary teachers. The majority of the teaching workforce are over 55..this is a fact. So don't get too excited that teaching jobs will be plentiful..because to get a permanent teaching job is about on par with winning the lotto.

DECS are making a big thing about the fact they have given 700 contract teachers permanent jobs. Sounds good til you realise there are 12,000 teachers on temporary contracts.

Is it ageist????

Well my son's teacher in year one was 70!!!! She was absolutely terribly. Kids ran riot..worksheets every day...I am positive she was ion the first stages of dementia...and I am not kidding here. Parents took the register as her eyesight was too poor and one morning at 9.15 she told the kids to finish their spellings and get ready for hometime. I was there!!! Every day were irrate parents were at the principals office. This teacher was permanent. Decs had the lumbered the school with her and there wasn't anything they could do about it.

 

Have to say Nick, from this, I don't really blame them not wanting to give out Perm. contracts - it has to work both ways imho, that it gives teachers security, yes, but also that when someone needs letting go, for whatever reason (and just being useless in the first place is a perfectly good reason, again imho), then that should also be available - once on perm. contract here its on one hand pretty hard to do, on the other, if you are a no morals and feelings SMT, and the person is ironically usually not that bad, very easy to do.

[Guest Nick11]

Something needs to be done about the teaching standards in south australia. I cannot believe what passes as acceptable teaching and content of lessons are very hit and miss.

Not that I believe sa should go down the road of the uk with such prescriptive curriculums as there were 10 years ago...but something needs to be done.

Will be interesting to see what happens!!!!

[Guest rachinadelaide]

Something needs to be done about the teaching standards in south australia. I cannot believe what passes as acceptable teaching and content of lessons are very hit and miss.

Not that I believe sa should go down the road of the uk with such prescriptive curriculums as there were 10 years ago...but something needs to be done.

Will be interesting to see what happens!!!!

 

I am an ex-teacher (yay!) and when we arrived here 6 years ago I went and did volunteer work in several schools and saw some of the worst teaching I've ever come across in my life! However, one of my best friends is a teacher and she is one of the best I have ever come accross. I think the problem is the lack of performance management means it is incredibly hit and miss. There appears to be a lack of performance management across many industries and organisations in SA... I have worked for a few orgs here and not one has anything close to a decent performance management procedure in place. It's all lip service. I have seen many examples of people cruising up the pay scales despite not meeting some very basic criteria.

[Guest Nick11]

I am an ex-teacher (yay!) and when we arrived here 6 years ago I went and did volunteer work in several schools and saw some of the worst teaching I've ever come across in my life! However, one of my best friends is a teacher and she is one of the best I have ever come accross. I think the problem is the lack of performance management means it is incredibly hit and miss. There appears to be a lack of performance management across many industries and organisations in SA... I have worked for a few orgs here and not one has anything close to a decent performance management procedure in place. It's all lip service. I have seen many examples of people cruising up the pay scales despite not meeting some very basic criteria.

 

Completely agree with you..I am just about to join the ranks of being an ex-teacher. There are some great teachers out there..some poor teachers out there...and unfortunately a lot of teachers who believe they are the best in the world..but have nothing to compare it to!!!! They are the ones that annoy me the most, as they refuse to adapt to new practices.

[Guest cbeeb]

jobs are for new graduates irrespective of age. the teachers that took the 50K had to want to go and be oked by the school they were employed at. The teaching profession is aging and as new graduates find it hard to get premanency in DECS alot of the better ones end up working in independant schools if they do not want to go country. Decs are trying to readress it(wether it works is another thing)

 

Good in bad in all jobs, but jaded teachers cause untold damage so yah to them leaving the profession and finding other things to do.

[True Blue Aussie]

One of the 'other motives', is that the older teachers are generally a lot higher up the pay scale than graduate teachers. I think they have worked out that the $50,000 per older teacher who leaves, will be recouped in lesser pay to the graduate teachers.

 

SA had a very large influx of teachers in the 1970's, (I was one of them.), and most of these teachers are now approaching retirement age. If you have been teaching since the 1970's, it is highly likely that by now you will be very jaded and sick of the politics of teaching, more so than the actual time spent in the classroom. I retired about fifteen years ago, and I was ready to go then. It's a very difficult, underappreciated job these days.

 

I guess it will always go in cycles of a lot of teachers being a certain age. When I first started, most teachers were young (Like I was then!), but by the time I left, many were in their 40's and 50's. Soon it will be back to being young again, maybe.

[Guest Nick11]

A lot of experience teachers are retraining..as there is little hope of securing a permanent job. I am retraining and in 10 years time when there is a teacher shortage..I doubt very much I will return to the profession.

Decs will eventually reap..what they sow!!!!

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

But we dnt want *** going down the same road as schooling in the UK where the kids are only taught about whats going to be IN the exam paper....so making the performance tables look good...

 

When i was a kid we had to remember allsorts of stuff half of which meant nothing to us at all...

 

My kids seem to be doing ok, few issues with little mans school....he needs a younger teacher that keep him on track the older teachers didnt have a clue...

 

HG

[Guest Nick11]

That's true Martin..but you do need standards and the bar must be raised in sa.

For example a while back I taught a group of year 3s who were learning to add to 10. Year 7s learning their times tables over and over again..and this was some of the better schools!!!

No one wants to follow the prescriptive curriculum of the u.k..but for some teachers it's just a case of teaching what they want..when they want ..now if you have a good teacher, who is on the ball..that's great..if you have a bad teacher..it is a wasted year!!! Both my kids have had great teachers...but both have had a couple of teachers who were at best dire..one of them is is still teaching!!!

[Guest Adelaide_bound]

For example a while back I taught a group of year 3s who were learning to add to 10.

 

I teach year 3/4 in the UK. About 10 students in my class of 30 cannot add to 10. Some of these are Year 4 students:err:

(I have tried everything, but with a) constantly having to move on to get in all the other bits of the curriculum b) their 'entitlement' to all the other subjects etc meaning they can't spend longer on the basic skills they still lack c) the fact they have for one reason or another missed the last few years of schooling due to being physically present but not mentally ready/present d) a complete lack of sanctions to encourage them to do any work e) a complete lack of any tangible rewards to motivate them if that is the only thing that would work - I am seriously having my work cut out with them).

[Guest cbeeb]

I am changing career to teaching after working in industry for 15 years after first placement really surprised at differentiation in a year level and lack of basic skills- fractions for one. I am senior school year 10-12(age 15-18) the majority of year 10's cannot add or multiply fractions. shocked me. Cannot imagine it is different in other countries, so many left behind and not "allowed " to fail. Makes teaching a struggle when so many become disengaged. Ask me again after 30 years of teaching. But the kids are lovely and you see moments when they are engaged and the aha moments where they get it. Hoping to see kids allowed to engage on their own terms and saw really good techniques. maths allowed to draw on desks and measure out on floor , climb on tables, all working independently, all with a teacher who has been teaching over 30 years, but allows kids to learn how they see best

[Guest Nick11]

I teach year 3/4 in the UK. About 10 students in my class of 30 cannot add to 10. Some of these are Year 4 students:err:

(I have tried everything, but with a) constantly having to move on to get in all the other bits of the curriculum b) their 'entitlement' to all the other subjects etc meaning they can't spend longer on the basic skills they still lack c) the fact they have for one reason or another missed the last few years of schooling due to being physically present but not mentally ready/present d) a complete lack of sanctions to encourage them to do any work e) a complete lack of any tangible rewards to motivate them if that is the only thing that would work - I am seriously having my work cut out with them).

 

There was only 15 in the class..4 were on suspension..some couldn't even identify some of the numbers!!

What I was trying to say was..it wasn't that they couldn't do it...they had never been taught it.

Their art work,p.e, i.t skills were excellent..because that was all they ever did!!!

[Guest Guest5035]

Have parents stopped teaching there kids the basics, oh thats right, some see it as schools job.

 

Stevo

[Jessica Berry]

My relative in the UK has just finished their teaching degree and went for her first teachers interview at a PRIMARY school. She said to me part of the process was a pupil assessment!! PC gone mad, I emailed her back and said why were the primary school kids part of the interview, her response was.....it's all about teaching the children what it is like in the real world and getting them involved in big decisions that will affect them!!

 

I pointed out to her in the real world bosses and HR (who should be trained and qualified in recruitment and selection and employment legislation) make the decision about who is employed.

 

I reckon if you went into a primary school and gave each kid on the panel a playstation or something like that, guess which teacher they would choose!!!!!!!!!!! No wonder the kids are out of control and think they can do what they like and have no respect for authority, it seems like they run the schools!!!