Job Discussion Forums

[Marcoregano]

I've already posted this in another thread but reckon it deserves more attention, so....According to last Saturday's NET ad in the South China Morning Post, the HK govt is now asking for the TEFL diploma as a pre-requisite for secondary school (but not primary) NET candidates. I wonder if anyone has established if this is truly the case, or whether it is a classic Dept of Ed typo error. If true, it will reduce the number of eligible applicants drastically, and eliminate a friend of mine who's trying to get back in.

[jenny-pnet]

If your friend has already had a successful and completed contract in the Net scheme, without any blemishes, I would imagine that would be to his/her advantage. The primary nets don't need the diploma level of TEFL, but they do need to complete TEFL to certificate level (a crash course is sufficient) within the first twelve months of employment. It would probably work in your friend's favour to clearly state in his application that he is intending to undertake such a course in the near future. Besides, if there are not sufficient numbers of applicants with the stipulated qualifications, then they will simply have to accept the ones without. --- But a quick course is easy to attain, so if I were him and really wanted the position, I'd make a point of getting it ASAP.

[Scott in HK]

If you look at the gov website...it does not seem that you need the tefl dip to get the job...but someone who has everything will get priority....

interesting your b'ed can't be in primary education now either...mine is...and they didn't have this stipulation when i started...

it does seem that they are tightening the screws a little to get the exact teachers they want....

http://www.emb.gov.hk/eng/highlights.asp?sid=16&cid=71

[ChrisRose]

It isn't a change per say.
Whilst previously it didn�t mentioned DELTA specifically, rather they have always asked for, 1st degree + ESL ESL certification preferably at the Dip. level.

I think it was a min. preferred requirement for PNETS. Probably just an increase in standards to whittle dwn the applicants.

Chris

[Marcoregano]

The Govt website and the SCMP ad don't match. While the website makes the dip sound like an ideal, but not essential qualification, the SCMP categorically states it as a requirement henceforth for secondary NET's. However, I suspect they didn't mean it to come across like that....I imagine that common sense dictates they will have to make do with people who don't have the dip. Still, given the amount of hassle and paperwork involved in applying for the NET prog, if I were an applicant I'd want to sure b4 going ahead.

[foster]

Maybe I didn't read it all that well last year, but I thought there was a mention about TEFL last year. I don't have it tho and I still got in. All I have is a degree in second language teaching and 2 glorious years at Nova in Japan.

[Scott in HK]

i believe up until now it was an option for those teachers who didn't have a teaching qualification...they could still be hired but their salary was capped at a certain level...one of my teaching friends didn't have a teaching cert but did have his tefl dip and use to complain about the salary cap...

maybe they found out how well tesol dip teachers actually taught...it would be the best degree for teaching in our situation...my b'ed knowledge has exactly been particularly helpful here...

[once again]

I have had it on good authority not to worry to much about the stated qualifications. I may be wrong about this, but the first ad didnt state what was said in the second ad in the SCMP...which was..something along the lines of..."English teachers must support the NET scheme in HK"...I got the impression that it was aimed at local teachers.....last year there were several teachers I know of that did not meet the stated requrements..but who are working on the scheme this year,,,,