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Teacher's Age an issue in Hong Kong?
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southerngirl



Joined: 30 Aug 2006
Posts: 53
Location: Sunny beaches
PostPosted: Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:09 pm    Post subject: Teacher's Age an issue in Hong Kong? Reply with quote
Hello All

And thanks again for responses to my earlier question. What I am wondering now is how great a role does a teachers age play in getting hired for a PNET/SNET job in Hong Kong.

Korea - where I am currently - is notorious for age discrimination in many instances. Though many employers are starting to realize older teachers, especially if they have a professional work history in their home country, are often more dependable and presentable than the recent college graduates who've never been away from home before Rolling Eyes

Yet as I have always taken care of myself and have been athletic my whole life, I am taken to be 10 years younger than my age of 46 and I MYSELF have never had problems finding well paying job in Korea

Upon completion of my teachers certificate, I will be 48. Might this be a problem in Hong Kong?

Thanks again, one and all! Smile

Leigh
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Marcoregano



Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2008 1:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
First off SG, congrats on being 46 - what a great age to be! Very Happy Yes, Korea is very ageist but HK isn't. Many NETS are well into their 50s and I know of two ex NETS who are over 60 and despite being too old to continue with the NET prog have managed to find new contracts, albeit without some of the NET perks. The standard age for teacher retirement in HK is 60, but quite a few locals also soldier on for a few years.
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Horizontal Hero



Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 2492
Location: The civilised little bit of China.
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
You won't have a problem with age discrimination in Hong Kong. But you will have to begin at the bottom of the pay scale - as only post- qual experince counts - so you'd be on about HK$30 000 or so, or maybe a little more with recent pay increases.
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Marcoregano



Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
PostPosted: Thu Jul 31, 2008 8:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Horizontal Hero wrote:
But you will have to begin at the bottom of the pay scale - as only post- qual experince counts -


Hi HH. Does post-degree experience count, or only post-teacher certification. As you will appreciate, many EFLers (like SG) do a degree and then get teaching experience but don't have proper teaching quals - do you know if NET recognises such experience?
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Serious_Fun



Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 1171
Location: terra incognita
PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
only post-cert/post-qual/post-credential

Quote:
Teachers (with Baccalaureate and NO qual) start on point x.

A teacher with a post-graduate teaching qualification, B. Ed or equivalent receives two salary points.

No additional points are awarded for Masters Degrees, Ph. D.s or other higher degrees.

Each year of continuous full-time service (post qual) in a recognised school will qualify you for an additional salary point, but teaching in private tutorial schools does not count and you must be able to provide documentary proof of service.


now....where did I copy that from? ouch.
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Marcoregano



Joined: 19 May 2003
Posts: 872
Location: Hong Kong
PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 3:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Well, rules are rules I guess, but as someone once said, the law is an ass. IMO, any teaching experience should be given some salary recognition. Even if it's pre-certification, the teacher is still learning the tricks of the trade, which add value to that person's teaching ability.
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Serious_Fun



Joined: 28 Jun 2005
Posts: 1171
Location: terra incognita
PostPosted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 5:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
Marcoregano wrote:
Well, rules are rules I guess, but as someone once said, the law is an ass. IMO, any teaching experience should be given some salary recognition. Even if it's pre-certification, the teacher is still learning the tricks of the trade, which add value to that person's teaching ability.


Especially when one considers that each year on the NET scheme, even without quals, allows one to go up one point on the salary scale. Surprised
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Horizontal Hero



Joined: 26 Mar 2004
Posts: 2492
Location: The civilised little bit of China.
PostPosted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 5:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
As SF pointed out, only post-teaching cert experience counts. It's a bummer I know. I have an English teaching Dip ed, and so for working for the British Council, they would count none of my seven years of ESL teaching (including head teacher and Director of Studies experience) until I did the ESOL qual - and I'd have to wait 2 years after that qual was gained before they's hire me!

And you will not keep going up the pay scale every year if you don't have the teaching qual. You will be capped at a low point on the scale. I'm not sure what that is, though - but it's pretty low relative to the top of the scale).
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