Job Discussion Forums

h-train · Posted: Sun Mar 30, 2008 7:01 am Post subject: Teacher Certification

Hello and good day to everyone.

I have been researching the pay scale for the NET program and have a question I'm hoping someone can answer. As far as PGCE or "teacher licensure" goes, does it matter what your teaching area is in? As of November I will be qualified to teach Chinese Mandarin K-12 in American schools, does this qualify me for the two step points? Do I need to complete an ESOL qualification as well? Thank you for your help!

Smoog · Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 137 Location: Hong Kong

The two extra points are if you've got a degree + PGDE. It doesn't matter what subject your PGDE is in, as long as it's from a recognised institute.

The current contract states you don't need a TESOL when you start, but you do need to get it within your first contract. There are some NETs who haven't done so and their schools aren't fussed, but failure to do a TESOL course could be used as a reason not to renew your contract.

h-train · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 4:43 am Post subject:

Does anyone by chance know what a PGCE entails? Does this mean one has graduated from a teacher preparation program, or does it mean that one must be licensed to teach in his home country?

Licensure in my country requires a lot more than the standard teaching cert; it requires a lot of testing and other paperwork. I believe in the UK this is known as qualified teacher status. Is having graduated from a teacher preparation program enough, or is it necessary to take the extra steps and become fully licensed to teach in order to advance on the NET pay scale?

Thanks in advance.

H.

anninhk · Joined: 08 Oct 2005 Posts: 284

If you get a PGCE then you are a registered teacher in the UK. I don't know what the equivalent would be in the US. Teachers in the UK do their degree and then do an extra year at Uni to get the PGCE.
Once you could teach in secondary school with just a degree but not sure about now.
I am a registered teacher in UK and had to do a year's teaching after college to complete the registration.
Don't know what Hong Kong accepts as registered teacher status.

Marcoregano · Joined: 19 May 2003 Posts: 872 Location: Hong Kong

Basically, apart from a recognised degree (in just about anything) you need to have 'qualified teacher status' (QTS), whatever that entails in HK, UK, USA, Canada, Oz etc. (Although for primary NET and the lower secondary NET bands you don't actually need QTS any more - they made it easier for people to get in).

QTS can be got in many ways. In the UK it's usually through a one-year PGCE (post graduate certificate of edn), OR you can also get it via a 3-year BEd (bachelor of education) degree. In Australia its a PGDE (I think), which is basically the same as a PGCE. In the US, as I understand it, most people get QTS as part of a full-on teaching degree (ie. over 3 or 4 years -a bit like the UK's BEd programme). Hope this helps...

h-train · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 8:04 am Post subject:

Thanks for the responses. It's a little bit confusing for me. Basically, I will finish my teaching licensure program in November. In order to obtain my professional license I need to go back home and take two exams then get fingerprints, apply, etc. I will have graduated from a teacher training program through my university, but won't have a professional license for my state. It is confusing, but I might as well just go back and do everything. I was just wondering if it would be possible to escape paying $1500 for a plane ticket to handle some business.