Job Discussion Forums

Mark-O · Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2005 8:56 am Post subject:

Just to clarify: I had NOT paid taxes continuously for 3 years prior to embarking on the course, nor had many people whom had not long finished their first degree.

The people who'd be able to give you guidance for funding and anything else related to the UK PGCE would be the Teacher Training Agency (TTA), who are contactable at:

http://www.tta.gov.uk/php/read.php?sectionid=9&articleid=5

C'Dog: I've never taught in Hong Kong, only in the UK. However, once I've acquired adequate training and experience here in the UK then my plan is to move to Hong Kong to teach. I'm trying to do things thoroughly at this end so that I can have a sustainable career in HK, and not make a hash of it by going out there too early without the experience or the qualifications.

And in reply to your other question: I worked in Science Administration before embarking on the PGCE course.

Professor Moriarty · Joined: 02 Jan 2005 Posts: 39 Location: The Overlook

I did not do my PGDE at HKU, but rather at CUHK. I would imagine they were all pretty much the same at the various universities though (in terms of content; price and reputation may well be another issue).

If the PGDE at HKU is anything like the PGDE at CUHK then it will expensive (I did mine over two years at $40,000 HK per year - a tidy sum not to be sniffed at) and hard work (three evenings a week and most if not all Saturdays in the first year, with five or six major essays and projects per term).

The course is well worth it, though, both personally and professionally, and especially if you are a 'reflective' teacher. The qualification certainly seems to be held in high regard here in HK - as reflected in salaries given to PGDE holders (at least as regards gweilos). One is reminded of that classic little dialogue between Marge Simpson and Lionel Hutz, in the episode (Realty Bites) in which Marge becomes a real estate agent. Upon discovering Lionel Hutz is in this line of work Marge says, "That must be rewarding", to which he replies, "Yes, the money is good."

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

Does the CUHK PGDE course not require students to have knowledge of Cantonese on the ground that some of the modules are in that language?

Mark-O · Posted: Mon Jan 10, 2005 7:13 pm Post subject:

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

I went along 22/01/2005 last Sat. morning to sit the English subject test. It was quite tough. We were packed (full-house) into a lecture theatre, given three A4 papers to work with on one of those small little pull-out-of-the-arm jot-down-a-note-tables.

Mark-O · Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2005 6:53 pm Post subject:

Please could you give us some examples of the questions asked? It would be interesting to hear just what subject knowledge they are expecting of HK NETs.

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

If you change the photo to that of a handsome shaolin fungfu fighting-fit man and promise never to use ugly -man faces again, then I will consider telling you since you said "please"!

once again · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 815

Interesting that you are discriminating against what you consider to be ugly faces.

Mark-O · Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2005 7:07 pm Post subject:

Apologies. I was having a bad hair day, I know; forgot to spruce my curls with mousse that day.

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

once again · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Posts: 815

Susie · Joined: 02 Jul 2003 Posts: 390 Location: PRC

Just as I have to give my students "interesting" lessons in order for them not to refuse to learn, so too does Mark have to show me his physical beauty in order for me to be captivated and inspired to tell him about the content of HKU's English subject test!

Could we say that students discriminate against teachers who give uninteresting lessons?