Job Discussion Forums

[christin]

Hey guys, I have just got married and maybe following my husband back to HK.

I am a British Born Chinese and am considering teaching English in HK. I have read on lots of forums and websites about the necessity of obtaining TEFL qualifications etc. which I am definitely going to do in the upcoming months.

I also want to ask if a TEFL qualification alone is enough? Should I also consider doing a PostGraduate Cert in Education as well (although this will take me 2 years part-time)? Is this worth doing? I am thinking of going into primary school English teaching when I first move over and then possibly going into International Schools as I hear the salary is better - but would I need a PGCE for this?

Also I have read that salaries range from very low to very high depending on where and what type of school you teach in - can someone please give me an idea as I think it is more reliable coming for you guys than some of the websites out there!

Many many thanks in advance!!

[anninhk]

I suggest you do the PGCE as that will give you far more options than the TEFL although you will need both if you decide to become a PNET. It will also be more useful for an International school job.
With regard to salaries - the starting salary for a NET is reasonable but it is the housing allowance that really makes the difference. You will only get that though if your husband doesn't get one with his job.

[Marcoregano]

I agree with Ann. If you intend making a career of teaching it will pay huge dividends if you get your PGCE. Basically, all the best jobs require it, except (oddly enough) at university level - but you need a PhD for the good jobs there and there's no guarantee. PGCE = good teaching job at primary or secondary level guaranteed, though you might need to get a year's post-qualification experience in the UK to make it work.

[Harry Houdini]

[christin]

Thanks for the replies guys... I've heard that the PGCE in the UK is the same as the PGDE in HK - is this true? Is it worth me doing a TEFL qualification first in the UK and then take a minor teaching/tutoring job in HK when I arrive. I will then start working towards my PGDE in HK?

Does anyone know how long the PGDE takes in HK and what the basic structure of it is?

Thanks!

[Marcoregano]

I don't know much about the local PGDE, but one important consideration surely is this - assuming you're a UK citizen or passport holder, the PGCE will cost you nothing (automatic grant and fees paid by the UK Govt). Over here, the PGDE will cost you, though I don't know how much - and doing it p/t will take you two years.

[christin]

Unfortunately the PGCE will still cost me just over �3000 in the UK because I am not eligible for a grant and it will still take me 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time (although I'd prefer to do it in one). But thank you for the advice!

I have also found out that I can do a PGCE-Primary Education, which is more the field I would like to go into since I'm more keen on teaching primary school kids.

Also I read about the requirements of entering the NET scheme and I'm hoping to fit into Class 2: I have a Masters in Pharmacy (totally irrelevant I know!), I will complete the PGCE (Primary Education) and my TEFL certificate. Will this be enough to almost guarantee me a job via the PNET scheme assuming that I do well in the interview, etc?

And am I correct in assuming that the salaries start from at least $22000 (on the EDB website) + housing allowance of around $15000 = $37000 a month? That seems a lot! Am I correct in assuming this?

Thank you in advance!

[anninhk]

The Masters doesn't count. You need a first degree which I presume you have.
I also thought you needed some experience as well as the PGCE but not sure about that, haven't read the requirements for some time.
If you are doing Primary you will need to teach reading and writing as well as speaking and also be able to lead PD sessions and give guidance to the teachers on how to improve classroom practice.
Not sure about the starting salary but at the moment the housing allowance is $12950 although there is talk about it being increased. You only get that though if your husband doesn't get an allowance with his job.
The PCGE will be a great investment if you are serious about a career in teaching.

[Marcoregano]

If you have to pay for the PGCE then you might as well come to HK and do the PGDE. It probably costs about the same and would give you experience and contacts etc. locally. The PGCE route means you have to spend another two or three years in the UK.

[teatree]

Hey, can't believe you're on the same road as me! I have just done the CELTA in aus, arrived in hk a month ago and at crossroads now re career

Just out of curiousity, are you planning to pursue pharmacist work when you're here?

Unless you're on the NET scheme WITH the allowance, tutorial centres and playgroups don't seem to pay well at all.

[christin]

Yes i'm aware that there will be other responsibilities to my role than purely teaching primary school children to talk English, as well as assisting other teachers and planning with them etc. I think I am quite prepared to put in the full effort to do the PGCE.

As Marco said, I'm wondering if it would be more beneficial to actually do the PGDE in HK rather than in the UK, however though, I will be in the UK for the next 2 years before I move back to HK so while I am here in the UK I may as well start the PGCE rather than not doing anything (apart from my normal full-time job) for 2 years and then spend another 2 years doing the PGDE when I arrive in HK?

Hello Teatree, are you a pharmacist also? Pharmacy in HK is not as highly regarded as pharmacy in the UK. Most people in HK don't know what a pharmacist does and if I work in hospital they will treat me as a dispenser. Besides I cannot read or write Chinese which I think will be a disadvantage to me if I work as a pharmacist in HK!

Since I will not be able to start my PGCE until next Septmeber, I will be starting my TEFL as soon as I can. I've read that people have done TEFL, TESOL and CELTA qualifications? What are the differences between these? Or which one is the most highly desirable?

If I come back to HK next year for a month, how difficult do you think it is to arrange some sort of teaching/tutoring work so that I can get a taster of what it is really like?

Thank you so much for your comments!

[teatree]

The plan originally for me was to get a TESOL certificate first, then try out the job to make sure I liked it before committing time and money to a PGCE.

However, now that I'm here, i'm trying to see if I can some pharmacist work first. Then, i suppose I have the TESOL cert as backup if i'm not employable.

(You'd need to get registered as a pharmacist in Hong Kong first, the exam is in English, and I can't read or write Chinese either, and it was fine)