Job Discussion Forums

[wages]

If you are looking for Teaching jobs in Australia and want to see if you qualify for a visa, go to www.wages.com.au

[Crazy Eagle]

Hello,

I am in Canada, thinking about becoming a high school teacher. Here, we have one and two year after-degree programs (for those who already have at least one degree).

Just wondering if a one year teaching diploma is sufficient to teach high school in Oz. Anyone know anything about this?

Cheers,

Crazy Eagle

[lozwich]

Hi,

There used to be both one and two year Graduate Diplomas of Education available in Australia, to qualify people to become high school teachers. I think all states now only have two year grad dips. But, you should be fine still, as long as you can pass all of the other things required to become a teacher. I had a friend who had to get certified in each state that she wanted to teach, after she had done her grad dip of education.

And then there's all the visa stuff, which I know nothing about... sorry.

Good luck,
Lozwich.

[naturegirl321]

Lots of the ones in Australia are still one year. I'm looking at them for primary school and you get qualified in a year.

[Crazy Eagle]

I looked into it, and was told that the programs in Oz are one year to become a teacher. I don't know if the person meant only elementary, or all levels.

If you have a couple of degrees, do Australian teachers make enough to live a 'decent' life? That is, can they afford a house in the burbs? One other thing: when is the vacation in Oz? Is it July and August like up over? Or would it be reversed?

Thank you in advance.

[august03]

Most Grad Dip of Education courses run for one year for both Primary and Secondary, you can do some courses that combine the two.

From the Victorian Government Teaching site

[Crazy Eagle]

Well, that starting salary sounds alright. In my own province of Canada, I would start at $43K and end up at around $68K after ten years (I have an Masters degree).

Don't really know how far $40K would go in a Sydney suburb.

I hear that there is a substantial Asian popluation in Oz these days. They tend to make good and serious students (that Confucian culture you know) so that would make my job a bit easier!

Not that I think they are intrinsically smarter - but their culture values education highly, if not for all the right reasons.

Crazy Eagle

"If you marry for money, you will earn it." Old European folk saying

[Crazy Eagle]

One more thing: anyone out there have experience teaching in an Oz high school? How did/do you like it? Are most Oz high school teachers happy campers?

Crazy

"A verbal contract is not worth the paper it's written on." Yogi Berra

[Polina]

If you think Asian students are good students, let alone better than others, you are very naive indeed, not to mention suggesting they might be smarter! The very Confucian culture that you mention prevents them from even being allowed to retain their natural curiosity and playfulness as children, let alone being able to develop thinking minds, let alone being able to do anything well except mimic!!! You need to look into it a lot further. You will be sorely disappointed.

[Crazy Eagle]

Polina, if you read my posting more carefully, you will see that I did not suggest that Asian students are 'smarter.' They do make more serious students though.

Look at the number of Nobel prize winners that have come out of China and Japan, compared with the number that have come out of England and other European countries with populations similar to or smaller than Japan. There is no comparison.

They value education, but not for all the right reasons. And they tend to make better students. That is all I was saying. OK?

[Crazy Eagle]

1 United States 270
2 United Kingdom 101
3 Germany 76
4 France 49
5 Sweden 30
6 Switzerland 22
7 Netherlands 15
8 USSR 14
8 Italy 14
10 Denmark 13
11 Japan 12
12 Austria 11
13 Canada 10
14 Spain 6
14 Australia 6

And China has had 1.

Hope this helps.

Crazy Eagle

[Polina]

Yes, interesting. I hope the areas China has colonised, where they still have Chinese-dominated education systems, such as Malaysia, manage to break free.

[combchick]

[quote="Crazy Eagle"]One more thing: anyone out there have experience teaching in an Oz high school? How did/do you like it? Are most Oz high school teachers happy campers?

Crazy

Hi Crazy
I don't normally browse the Australia forum. I've taught in high schools in Sydney for about 18 years. I'm from the land down under. I've been teaching in China and Hong Kong now for about 2 1/2 years.You asked if most Oz high school teachers were happy campers. Well.... I guess that depends WHERE you teach. There are your good schools and your bad schools. Generally speaking, student discipline in government schools isn't up to much. The kids are difficult.
When I was teaching in London, about 4 years ago, I was amazed to see adds in the London papers trying to get UK teachers to go and teach in Sydney high schools. They didn't of course specify WHICH schools you would be sent to. The truth is that it's difficult to get Australian teachers to go out to some of these "challenging" schools. The schools tend to be out in the suburbs, but also it's difficult to get Oz teachers to go out to the "remote" schools - far away from the city centres. While there are some Oz teachers who do manage to survive in these schools, the schools in fact rely a lot on casual block/supply teachers. So the teachers come and go. Some survive a term or so and move on. Some walk out after a day or so. It really does depend on this school.
I've taught in inner-city schools with high ethnic populations and managed to survive - but you gotta keep on top of them.
I can't speak for other cities in Australia, but I guess the students would all be much the same in the cities.
You mentioned about the Asian students having a better attitude. Well try teaching in Hong Kong. The kids are really challenging and a lot of them - not ALL - have no interest in school or motivation. Again, it depends what kind of school you are in.
Back to Sydney - at my husband's school a few years ago, a female science teacher started as a newbie and lasted half a day. She walked out. Could not cope with the lack of discipline.
You could always try for some of the private schools. The discipline is usually a bit better.
Re salary - once you get up near the top of the scale you should be on around $AUD60,000 per annum. I don't know the exact rate as I've been away a couple of years now.
Good luck.

[Crazy Eagle]

Thanks for the information, Combchick.

Basically, you say it seems to depend on the school, and you portray some of them as hellish. Hard to believe that kids in grades 11 and 12 would be brats! I would be teaching math and business courses, and would think that many students would be planning to go to university, and so would have a decent attitude.

I volunteered in a high school out here that has a bit of a wild reputation, but to my surprise, the kids were mostly very nice. I did not have to beat a single one! I would hope to have some classes of university-bound students. Is this unrealistic?

Thanks again!

[and I was joking about beating]

[paisleyavenger]

the answer is complicated because, like canada, each state (province) is governed by its own rules.

i can tell you about queensland, because that's where i was a high school teacher. i think queensland is probably the easiest state for you to get a job in, because the system is centralised and run entirely by the government education board.

step 1 - register with the queensland board of teacher registration (if they accept your qualifications, then you can teach ... if not, they will tell you what you need to do). without their approval, you can't teach. they monitor all teachers in queensland.

step 2 - then you can register with the government and the government will offer you jobs in different areas (depending on your preferences, abilities, qualifications, etc) ... the more open minded you are, the more job offers you'll get.

step 3 - profit!

simple as that. if you need more, pm me and i'd be happy to help.