Job Discussion Forums

[Couper]

Does anyone know what qualification you can do in Australia that confers QTS in both Australia and England (i.e., the Aus equivalent of a PGCE)?

Will a Grad Dip in TESOL do it? I already have a BA in English, I need something postgrad that will give me QTS in both countries as I have dual citizenship.

Thanks...

[scot47]

I think it is unlikely. Note that QTS status in England is not the same as QTS in Scotland. Not sure about Wales and Ulster.

[Chris_Crossley]

I have QTS myself (1995!), but I do not believe that you will find any qualification that will "give" you QTS in Australia and England. QTS simply means that you are qualified to teach in state schools in the country (or part thereof) where you train. In my case, I am qualified to teach in state schools in England and Wales, because they operate on more or less the same system (GCSEs and "A"-levels, National Curriculum, etc). Scotland has a different system, so someone like me would have to be judged as being suitable for receiving QTS in Scotland and be registered with the General Teaching Council of Scotland (GTCS).

If you wanted to teach in England or Scotland (which are treated separately in an educational context up to and including secondary), you would have to find out if your qualification that gives you QTS in Australia (or part thereof) would be acceptable there. Find out from the relevant bodies. It is not unknown for people from other Anglophone countries to teach in the UK, so it is certainly worth finding out.

[zippy2k]

Sorry for coming in slightly late in this thread but as a teacher from Ulster I thought I should shed some light...

1st to shatter a common myth, "Ulster" is not Northern Ireland, it also includes 3 counties from The Republic. To have QTS in Northern Ireland, you need either a B.Ed or PGCE from a recognised HE provider(there are 5 listed in NI), plus you are required to register for "EPD" (Early Professional Development) that lasts into your 3rd year after ITE:

http://www.deni.gov.uk/teachers/Car_dev/professionaldevelopment_qa.pdf

The syllabus in N Ireland however is to all intents and purposes the same as England and Wales (GCSEs and A-levels) however we are the only part of the UK still to retain the "11 plus" selection exam for all pupils at 11 in primary school, as an entry to non-fee paying grammar schools.

A teacher who has gone through ITE in Britain (NOT Scotland) should be able to find a job here with little difficulty, even if it is temporary, however local competition is much stiffer than in GB.

In counties Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan, as they are outside the UK, the requirement for QTS is quite different. They teach a syllabus leading to something called "Leaving Certificate" at 16, in most cases not a UK exam-based syllabus, and recognised qualifications for QTS in the Republic are from HE institutions in the Republic of Ireland only:

http://www.education.ie

I doubt very much whether ITE from anywhere in Oz will be acceptable to state schools in Ulster but there's always a possibility of some type of work if you contact schools direct that attract you.