[Patrick]

Greetings, everyone. My first post, but I've been reading things on the forum for half a year. It's been very informative, so thanks everyone for the information.

Now, on to my current situation. I'm a Canadian, living in Taiwan, who is looking to move my family (dual citizenship daughter, Taiwanese wife) to a new country. I'm a high school math and English teacher, so the opportunity to move to and work in New Zealand definitely exists, and is something I have really wanted to pursue since our family vacation there last summer (winter in NZ). But, the NZQA assessment of qualifications is becoming a fiasco. It's only been a month, and I have received my documents back, but I can't seem to get a reply from the case officer and, now, another setback: they are asking me to prove that I am a trained mathematician! They have all of my transcripts, they have my degrees, my universities have already responded as well as my teaching college, and all I want to do is teach in a high school, which I noted in a separate letter to NZQA stating my desire to be assessed with a future career in NZ as a high school teacher kept in mind (I have a PH.D in higher maths, but I love teaching in high schools) and yet the NZQA is insisting I need to prove I am a mathematician to teach in a university, which I don't want to do. Essentially, they want me to sit a test to prove my abilities in higher maths, which I understand you don't have to do to teach in high schools. And, since I can't contact the case officer, it's a bloody circle of nonsense because I can't gte them to stop assessing me as a professor, and I can't get my assessment report to register as a teacher with the teachers council. The lady who answers the NZQA phones is very helpful and kind, but she can't do anything because she's not responsible. In short, bloody nonsense.

So, this leaves me with a choice: do I apply for permanent residency for my wife in Canada, which would be done in 6 months, and pursue my teaching career there, or do I continue to fight the good fight with NZQA and probably waste a chance to teach back home? I like the idea of New Zealand, of living and working there, but if this is what I can look forward to, of them confusing my wishes because of their needs, not mine, then .... well, any advice or moral support is much appreciated.

[Smiler]

Hi Patrick

I know nothing of NZQA's but wanted to say Hi and welcome to the forum.

Is your case officer not responding to email even? Does anyone know where he/she is?

This is not meant to sound trite because I know nothing about the NZQA as I said, but isn't sitting the test something you would consider? Does it give you more job options to get you over here? Does it give you the required points or do you have enough already?

From what I have seen and heard on here, this system does seems to take an impossible amount of time.

Deborah

[Patrick]

Hi Deborah. Thanks for the welcome. You know, my case officer hasn't deigned to respond to emails as of yet, although the assistant case officer has been very nice. Seems this fellow doesn't like to communicate, either by email or if you leave voice messages.

And, yes, I have the points, but I still need to be registered as a teacher to apply for jobs in high schools, and it seems that the NZQA is of the opinion that a person with a Ph.D shouldn't be teaching in high schools ... it's an area, math, in which they need people, but I feel why should I sit even more tests to prove something my degrees and transcripts and letters have already proven? It's just very discouraging.

[willsken]

Hi Patrick

I too am a teacher and had to go through the NZQA experience. Why it takes so long I don't know. I would send a very strong letter to the effect of your above post to your case worker. (Do it by snail mail if he won't respond by e-mail) Remember they WANT you over there. I certainly wouldn’t give up if I were you. I believe the experience is supposed to test our commitment! :roll

Keep plugging away - you'll get there :nice1

[Smiler]

Patrick

If he/she is not responding, Nicola's suggestions is a good idea. If he is being rude enough to ignore you it's very frustrating and it seems that most everybody has these awful problems when dealing with NZQA. Not answering mails, waiting for months and no bending of the rules. Not everyone fits in the box and it is time they realised that.

Don't give up though, it really is worth it, just difficult when you are stuck in the loop.

D

[ruthyroo]

You might try emailing / phoning Teach NZ - the govt agency tasked with bringing overseas teachers to NZ. We went to a 'social evening' that they hosted about a year ago, and they did say that they wanted to help people out with the whole process - including dealing with the NZQA / NZTC / NZIS - as well as settling in to NZ.They are pretty stretched resource-wise, but they've always been pretty helpful to us.

www.teachnz.govt.nz

Good luck!

[Patrick]

Maybe there is still some hope for moving to New Zealand after all. My new case officer has surfaced, and after having it out with him and his superior for an hour about my wanting to teach in high schools rather than universities, and why my old case officer (who never surfaced) never was reachable, have now been informed that they are waiting on 1 of my universities to send information to them along with the other university and teaching college they've heard from ... which opens another can of worms, because it's taking a long time for them to respond, no one at the university in question knows of a letter NZQA sent them (which makes it sound like NZQA is still not doing its job), and the NZQA is not letting me send them the proper address to contact the university at (they've supposedly let another party use "their" noted address to do that) ... but, at least it sounds like something is happening, and that the process has started without my having to take a test, event though they could have told me this weeks ago! Still can't apply for a job until this verification process is finished, so I'm crossing my fingers still. I'm actually holding up on sending in my wife's Canadian stuff yet to see what happens in the next month or two, but after that, who knows?

[ruthyroo]

Just wanted to say that you don't have to hold back on applying for jobs while NZQA / NZTC are doing their stuff - Mr Rr applied for and was offered his position before we even contacted those dreaded organisations. The school just wanted to know that it was 'in hand' and when he would likely be able to start.

Whaddya mean you haven't heard of the NZTC yet Patrick?!?! More fun to come...

[Patrick]

You know, the teachers council has been very nice thus far, as they have my application forms and all other documents ... EXCEPT THE NZQA STUFF ... in hand, and have apparently finished their stuff and just need the assessment to send me the provisional registration. So, no complaints there. I didn't know that you could apply for jobs before registration, though, because most of the listings I've seen thus far mention that you need to be a NZ registered teacher to apply or be considered. Hmm. I think I may be hitting edgazette tomorrow!