Teaching in SA

[Guest Gareth oliver]

Hi

 

I am after some advice with regarding teaching in secondary schools. I know I have to register with SA and attend a few courses before commencing a post. But I am in a dilemma - has anybody been able to a secure a job before moving out to SA. We hope to be moving in the next 9 months but I dont want to land in SA without having a secure job. I've been reading some horror stories that all jobs are temporary and the only work available is on supply. I know my job as a PE teacher is probably not the most sort after especially with the way our national teams are doing against the OZ's. I would welcome any information or contacts who might be able to help.

 

Gareth Oliver

[Guest rich]

I have exactly the same problem as you, although i'm an English teacher. I'm interested in the reponses to this one!

[Guest Bodie]

Rich & Gareth,

Welcome to PIA. I know exactly how you feel, I was in the same position last year. It is difficult to secure work from the UK but not impossible, a friend of mine did exactly that. There are various types of jobs advertised, temporary contract (short term placement),part & full-time contract (longer usually a year)and permanent( much harder to secure and priority is given to those already with permancy). However, don't despair. I arrived here in Jan 09, having previously been a headteacher in London, without a job. Last week I was appointed principal of a large primary school. My wife, a secondary English teacher, found work relatively quickly and has had her contract renewed. Another guy I was helping has just won a post in a large private school (has been here less than 3 months). In short if you keep plugging away you will find work. I am happy to help you Aussie-fy your CV and supporting statements. You can pm me with details etc. Am happy to help.

Mark

[Guest muppetbro]

hi mate

 

i spent a year in adelaide teaching pe before returning back to uk

 

first up - i would remove that cv immediately off a public forum - hell dont give out details of a personnel nature on here!!! i wud hope a moderator does that immediately

 

having read your cv !!!...

 

you will NOT BE ABLE TO TEACH IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA AS YOU DO NOT HAVE 3 YEARS POST GRADUATE TEACHING EXPERIENCE - if you gained a pgce in 2008 then this will be deemed the point at which you gained teaching qualification IRRESPECTIVE of how many years prior of teaching experience - the trb are absolutely 110% water tight im afraid - your cv reads more like you have been a PDM rather than teacher of pe??? sports college.....mmmm......first degree in P.E........ despite you might have passed the skills qualification on the visa application stage you will not get TRB clearance in S.A. assuming what i have read stands as accurate.....

if you are an assistant head you will likely take a massive pay drop as you will have to start at bottom of scale - assuming you can teach!!!

 

i would say getting a job before arriving is very very remote - teaching country usually means living 4 hours from civilisation inland and until you have seen what country means down under dont be led to believe it is anything other than hell on earth hence opportunities exist

 

pm me if u fancy chatting on phone - i returned june 08 and walked into a 12 month contract locally - but i gave up a great job in a top school which i now regret and am working in a sink school (academy to be)......but at least teaching in adelaide prepared me for working with such ****ty kids.....same **** shiinny bucket unless you work in a top fee paying private school

 

all the best mart

 

edit additional

 

im 99% sure that the grad. teaching qualification is not recognised - ie they require a full year long teacher training course such as p.g.c.e. - something to do with a minumum allocation of hours which your qualification fails upon - this matter has cropped up a few times in the past i think....

 

post your cv to the trrb for the definative answers - if you get the thumbs up and you are prepared to work in the tough schools finding work relief teaching will be easy on arrival which is your route to a contract - mart

[Guest Gareth oliver]

Hi Mart

 

Cheers for the feedback.

 

If you could spare 5 minutes I would really appreciate a chat.

 

Pm me for my phone number at work (edited by mod)

[Guest Nick11]

Hi Mart

 

Cheers for the feedback.

 

If you could spare 5 minutes I would really appreciate a chat.

 

If I were you I'd remove that phone number immediately mate. Lots of wierdos out there.

[Guest Kazzarazza]

Hi

 

I am after some advice with regarding teaching in secondary schools. I know I have to register with SA and attend a few courses before commencing a post. But I am in a dilemma - has anybody been able to a secure a job before moving out to SA. We hope to be moving in the next 9 months but I dont want to land in SA without having a secure job. I've been reading some horror stories that all jobs are temporary and the only work available is on supply. I know my job as a PE teacher is probably not the most sort after especially with the way our national teams are doing against the OZ's. I would welcome any information or contacts who might be able to help.

 

Gareth Oliver

 

Hi Gareth, Yes it is possible. My brother secured a teaching job from NZ after a phone interview. It was a temporary contract of 18 months. He used www.seek.com.au and byron employment, if that's any help to you. Good luck.

[Guest Libby1971]

Hello

 

Right muppetbro :tonguexmas:, you are a right b*gger on this one! Talk about sh*t stirrer!!! :laughxmas:That being said you make me laugh...while you say Adelaide is full of sh*tty kids, may I point out that you also like Adelaide, ALOT, so stop making waves on this one. Yes there are bad kids, but there are good ones too. You just found more bad ones.

 

As for me, I found lots of nice ones. The only trouble I found was at a boys school where privileged boys behaved badly. I went to two state schools and found the kids to be very nice. Don't get me wrong, there were one or two choice kids there but the vast majority were great. I taught at a school in the UK where the kids were fighting all sorts of evils and this is a breeze compared to that.

 

I am now the Head of Faculty at a private school. I'll be up front and say I have really landed on my feet here. I am supported totally by the management and the kids are wonderful. I work with some lovely staff too so all in all, it is good for me here.

 

Now I didn't see your CV so can't really comment on it. However, if I read between the lines of muppetbro's post and conclude you have a GTP qualification to teach, then I am sorry but the TRB will not give you permission to teach here. Without the TRB registration, you can't get a teaching job. This is being looked into but don't hold your breath for change any time soon. The Adelaidians (new word, do you like it?) are not renowned for the ability to embrace change.

 

The reality of teaching here is that unless you are a teacher of Maths or Science, then getting a job from outside Australia is virtually impossible. One or two do get lucky but there is no shortage of applicants for jobs.

 

Now you know about the courses you need to do, which need to be done here. presumably you are going to wait until you arrive before doing them. To be honest, until you have done the courses, you are unlikely to get a job offer. And certainly nothing permanent. The deal here is that a private school will offer you a job and for the first 6 months you are on probation. It could be longer than 6 months, it depends on the school. After that you could find yourself offered permanency but I work with a large number of people who have been working at our place for a few years and are still contract staff. It just gets renewed year after year and that is not guaranteed.

 

As for state schools, well the system is a farce! We registered more than a year ago for positions in state schools and we haven't heard from them at all, in more than a year. It is just as well that I am not holding my breath for that.

 

And Bodie, I think I know your name and new school, if the email I got in the last two days is about you!

 

To all teachers everywhere, happy holidays!:emoticon-signxmas:

[Guest Bodie]

Good advice as usual, Libby. Yep, you were right - that was me.

[Guest Gareth oliver]

Thanks to everyone who has given me advice. Yes I did get QTS through the GTP but I must be the first teacher on record to go through a PGCE to gain QTS again - All for the Aussie dream. But sadly this could of been a waste of time and energy. One lesson ive learned from this experience is use a 'forum first' to get the true facts. But obviously not to put personnal stuff on the open domain. Hopefully that has been removed. I'm still pursue SA but I may go down the lecturing route rather teaching. I cant afford to take my two children out of a UK school where they are happy if I cant secure permanent work. Any further advice would still be appreciated.

[ianb]

sorry dont confess to know anything about teaching here in SA but Libby is proof that with a lot of blood sweat and no doubt tears and of course a bit of luck you can achieve a lot here so don't think you are fighting a losing battle. Just do as much research and ask loads of questions to find a way forward.

[Guest Nick11]

Have you tried the northern territories - they are crying out for teachers.

Darwin is supposed to be very nice.

[Guest Libby1971]

Shucks Ian, you're making me blush!!

 

It took me a year to find a job. I arrived in April 07. My OH is a teacher too and we had about 10 days work total from then until July when I got a contract job for the term. OH had about 3 weeks work in there as well as a day here or there. In Nov he got a 5 week contract and a job starting Jan. I got my job in March and started in April.

 

I hope I am not trying to put you off. You might just need to readjust your expectations so that you are prepared and financially not overburdened. I wish you the very best of luck and hope to see you here soon.

 

Bodie, well done possum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guest muppetbro]

nice and selective as always libby

 

im glad its going well for you all - enjot the summer minus the heatwaves

 

ive pmed you gareth bell me anytime for a chat mate

 

mart