[pleccy2000]

Hi,

Your assistance is required. My OH has some Primary Teaching questions....

She is about to start a PCGE course here in England, and we are wondering if it is actually worth it? We plan to go the NZ when she becomes a fully qualified teacher

From a previous post that I recently did I have established that she needs to do a year PCGE and then a years teaching after that in order to become fully qualified (correct me if I am wrong). That means we cannot go to NZ until 2007!

After the PGCE and the year teaching can she go straight into teaching in NZ or will she have to do more study? What about learning the NZ curriculum and Maori?

What we originally wanted to do was the PCGE here in the UK and then do the year teaching in NZ but I understand that we cannot do this as there are no conversion courses (again correct me if I am wrong).

Maybe it would just be better to go to uni in New Zealand?

Any input you can help me with would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance

[ruthyroo]

Can't give you straight answers on all your questions but my impression for primary teaching is that she may well be better to do the training here in NZ - if you have PR. The advantages of that are that primary jobs are in much shorter supply in NZ than secondary and competition is much greater for them... anyone with NZ teacher training who is also here in the country will undoubtedly stand a better chance of getting a job. Also you get to come to NZ much sooner! The disadvantages are that she will miss out on any financial incentives that the UK gov may be offering (no such thing here - although with PR she wont have to pay overseas student fees) and that you will have to live on a single salary until she is qualified. So I guess you have to decide what the priorities are for you two...

Have you tried Teach NZ for some answers? They have always been realyl helpful when I've emailed them - contact details are on the website. Or even the NZTC for the more technical queries?

[pleccy2000]

Ruthyroo - thank you for a great answer!!

I did look for Teach NZ's email contact address but I cannot find it anywhere on their website :(

Do you by anychance have it?

Ultimateley what I am trying to ascertain is if she can do a PGCE here in England and then go on to teach in NZ without further study.

I CANNOT FIND THIS INFORMATION ANYWHERE so that is why I am so greatful for your help.

[Carol]

That is exactly what I did - my degree - then my PGCE.
However I DID do a probationary year in the UK also.
And we came out 9 years ago - things were quite different then.
Jobs are much harder to come by now in primary - to be honest we are employing a newly qualified (NZ trained) teacher part -time because there simply wasnt a job available for her. She is a great teacher. Very sad.


At the moment - if I was in her siituation I would train here.

This however is the situation in Wellington - I dont really know about elsewhere because I never look.
Check out the Education Gazette for current vacancies.

http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancies/ .php?grid=48



Has she thought about Early Childhood??
They are just about to go for pay parity which will bring their wages up significantly.
Only right too!!!

This is quite an interesting article on Teach NZ about it....
http://www.teachnz.govt.nz/pathways/overseas_popup.html




Also this one...
http://www.teachnz.govt.nz/overseas_index.html


Carol

[ruthyroo]

Hi pleccy, glad to be of help. I had a look at the Teach Nz website and they do seem to have clamped down on responding to random emails - I know they have only about 6 staff in all so I guess they have been a bit overwhelmed. Maybe the NZTC would be able to help? http://www.teacherscouncil.govt.nz/