Teacher Training

RobJones · Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 7:01 am Post subject: Teacher Training

Can anyone tell which option would be best for my graduate wife - to train as a teacher in UK on a one year PGCE then emigrate to NZ or emigrate first and then train to be a teacher over in NZ?

Many thanks

DianeAcklin · Posted: Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:17 am Post subject: Teacher Training

My concern is the same as your wife's. I am currently enrolled in a secondary teacher ed. program in San Francisco, but wonder if I will have to complete further training in NZ once I get there?

The other thing is that I have a master's degree already, which qualifies me to teach at a community college or tech school, so am I wasting my time in this teacher ed program when I could be teaching at an entry level in NZ already?

Any guidance on what to do would be appreciated.

ruthyroo · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 39

At last - some queries I feel qualified to answer! My DH is a teacher, we arived here in NZ this week and he is due to start work on Monday (yeeks!).

Rob - I looked into doing teacher training here in NZ. Basically, if you do it in NZ your wife will be classed as an international student, and charged fairly hefty fees as a reult, as all international students are everywhere. She'll also have to support herself - housing, food, transport etc while At the mo, doing a PGCE in the UK is fee free to UK nationals, and for secondary / shortage subjects you will also even get some financial support to do it in the fom of a grant. So I would have to say that if cost is a consideration, and she is serious about teaching as a career, do the PGCE in the UK and bring it over afterwards - as a secondary teacher she will be snapped up. My DH principal here in NZ told him that he could really pick and choose where he wanted to be as the shortage of secondary teachers is so acute - especially outside Aukland, and a UK education is highly valued out here.

Diane- I don't think you will be wasting your time doing the teaching course. As part of the immigration / work permit process you will have to have all your qualifications vetted by the NZQA, and to work as a teacher you will have to register with the NZTeaching COuncil. I think they will want to see formal qualifications for teaching appropriate to the level that you intend to teach in NZ. Check out the NZIS, NZQA and NZTC websites - they give more info.
Best of luck to you both. We have been here a week, it's freezing cold!! but we are looking forward to a new life once we are settled.

RobJones · Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 7:30 am Post subject:

Many many thanks. Good luck

Graham Barnes · Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:12 pm Post subject:

From my experience, and that of my brother who is teaching in NZ at the moment, I fully agree with Ruth.
A 1-year PGCE is fully accepted by the teaching authorities, and seems to be highly regarded out there. Many principals are wary of employing overseas teachers, but mainly from "non-similar" education systems like India, Pakistan where the culture and language are very different. They do like UK teachers in particular, along with Canadians as well. One problem to watch out for though is that they do strongly prefer teachers with prior experience in their home country, but if you are in NZ for interviews, this should be less of a problem.
It can be difficult for even NZ teachers to break into popular areas (E.g. Christchurch, Nelson), so you may have to follow the job to an area you might not have originally chosen.
As a Physics teacher, I found it pretty easy to get 2 job offers from very good schools (Auckland Grammar and Dilworth), even before I got my own PGCE completed...visited the former whilst on holiday, interviewed over the phone and by a UK contact for the latter. There is currently a national shortage of secondary teachers, particularly in a number of specific subjects which is expected to continue for a few years yet.
Like me, bro' (Science/Biology) sent off some applications to positions advertised on edgazette, and got 5 or 6 offers without any problems at all.

Graham