Job Discussion Forums

[Theresa]

Does anyone have any reliable info about how changes at the Education Ministry affect us TEFL teachers? I've heard that to work in kolejiler you now need a PGCE as well as the TEFL if you're applying this year (apparently it doesn't affact those who are already working and have their work papers). Is this true?

[corall]

i just got the ok for a work visa in june for my new school. its a kolej and i don't have a pcge. i'm from canada and all i have is a tefl and my degree. i don't know if the laws have changed, but it took a week for ankara to ok me for a work visa and now i am going home this august to get it. supposedly the time is now shorter, before you had to stay in your country of origin for a month, but now we were told we could pick it up in a day or two - at least from the turkish embassy in canada anyway. this is what i was told in the middle of june, it could have changed by now, who knows. these things change all the time...

[crumpy]

To work *legally* in any k12 school, we've always needed at least a Bachellors degree and PGCE (or equivalent) in the subject we're going to teach. Seeing as few foreign teachers have "English" written on their degree certificates, the official jobs of most have been as language lab technicians:-))

However, it may indeed now may be more difficult for the schools to mislead (or bribe) the authorities. This is because the Ministry of Education is no longer involved with the issuing our work permits - instead it is the �alışma Bakanlığı ... and maybe they want to make a point of clamping down on foreigners working illegally in Turkey.

[31]

You can't blame them for wanting real teachers in high schools.

[corall]

[31]

duh no it is just a bribe. Nobody gives a shite.

[Theresa]

Thanks everyone.

31: I've taken the bait. Am I not a "real" teacher then? What am I? Virtual? Mickey Mouse? What have I been doing all these years in reputable establishments, including in GB?

[31]

No
TEFLer
No
No
TEFLing

[crumpy]

Hi Theresa ... I'm sure you -are- a real teacher, but those are the legal requirements here in Turkey. I agree that each person's legality to teach should be assessed individually ... but that would be too costly and time-consuming for the Turkish authorities.

A few years ago a colleague of mine in the maths department was employed as an English language lab technician (or something like that), eventhough back in Northern Ireland he was a highly-respected teacher who used to grade GCSE maths exams. You see his degree was in physics. By the way, he did exactly the same job as me and got paid the same money. It's just that the school was taking a slight risk in hiring him.

I would imagine that all the M of E inspectors know that the schools are hiding things from them ... but they're not going to kick up a fuss if the schools 'treat them nicely'.

[corall]

[31]

Huh? No cheap shots just facts. Read crumpy's post.

[TeachEnglish]

Hehe.. Some people are so sensitive about English teaching. Maybe these overly sensitive whiners are annoyed to learn you don't have to spend a lot of time pursuing an English teaching degree to teach English. I know, it is a b*t*h to learn you were fooled... I don't give a rats *ss if someone has an accounting degree because I know most of the important things you learn to be an accountant you learn on the job. Most of the important things you learn about teaching English, you learn on the freaking job. And furthermore, I can't imagine some of these negative, foul, posters being good at anything...but whining. Now I have given you something else to whine about.. whine amongst yourselves...

[31]

Yeah. All that time and money on Jack London and nobody here gives a toss that your degree is in English.