Job Discussion Forums

[La Cucaracha]

Hi, first time poster.

What's the better job, do you reckon? A VTC NET "Teaching Associate" or SNET? I'm certified in Special Ed, and have 6 years teaching overall--but only two at a Secondary level. This means I'd be at the lower paying job for VTC (they only count secondary experience)--not sure where I'd be in the SNET scheme. I know VTC is teaching Vocational, 15-21 year olds. The job appeals to me, as I like the transitional age group.

Or with 4 years Middle School teaching experience, did I apply to the wrong NET postion? I think that's PNET? I just looked at the PNET requirements now for the first time, and seems Special Ed experience is one of the things they are looking for. Thanks for any help.

[BCinHK]

Depends what you mean by 'better'. VTC students leave regular schools after Forms 3, 5 or 7. Those from Form 7 will be quite different from the 'Form 3 leavers', which most schoolers are eager to see go.

VTC provides housing in shared accommodation (in Chai Wan ?) - your institute could be next door or one hour across HK. NETs get a taxable "Special Allowance" of $12950 per month - and can live wherever they want.

There are a few threads on this forum about the VTC scheme.

You can apply for both the SNET and PNET schemes (and be interviewwed by both) or make more photocopies and apply for the VTC scheme too.

[11:59]

Sie sind so verschieden wie Tag und Nacht! (It is like comparing chalk and cheese!) One thing you do have to begin to appreciate is that vocational training in HK is not really all that similar to hands-on vocational training elsewhere in the world. It is not Finland or Holland: the students at VTC are not viewed as future useful contributors to society who simply choose to pursue a non-academic/non-professional career path, but rather are seen as those who could not make it into tertiary education. A large number of them will have had it drummed into their heads everyday for the last 6-odd years or so that they 'cannot make the grade'. At schools in HK (both primary and secondary) they still have ridiculous archaic practices such as streaming kids at primary school (!) and even putting a student's class ranking in writing in their end-of-term report (i.e., 'Your child/Billy Chan is 40/41 in his class'). This is hardly inspiring to a young child, to say the very least.

[La Cucaracha]

Thanks for the info. Does anyone happen to know what holidays are like under the VTC? Do they roughly follow SNET & PNET timetable for holidays?