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Advice for NQT Primary Teacher


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Hello, I wonder if you could help, I am looking to apply for a visa for WA. As I understand it, primary school teachers are no longer on the skills list (they are in Queenland & Victoria, but only if you offer MFL, sadly, I don't). Although I have experience in Year 1, this does not count towards being an early years teacher (which is on the skills list) as my PGCE covers 5-11yrs.

 

If you were in my position, what would you do? Are my only options to do another PGCE in Early Years or Secondary? I've considered a MA in Early Years, although that wouldn't offer me 45 days supervised teaching experience.

 

I will be the main visa applicant for my family should we ever get to the point of being able to apply.

 

Questions, questions!! Thanks in advance for all help and advice.

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Whatever you end up doing make sure you do a lot of research to the area you're going to. Teachers are not in demand here, there is a massive over supply at the moment with lots not being able to secure steady employment - if any in the teaching field. Jobs that are available can be in very remote locations, which can come with problems beyond the remote nature of where you'd be living (e.g. see recent news on school in NT).

 

Good luck with whatever pathway you take though.

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Many thanks Tickled Pink, I appreciate your response.

 

Im not sure whether or not to look at secondary, it's such a difficult decision as that could be withdrawn from the skills list by the time I look again. I wonder if I should re-think altogether?!

 

I'll look in to the recent news you mentioned. Thanks again.

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If you can upgrade to secondary maths and science you might be in with a shout but, honestly, I would be rethinking altogether. Teachers are well oversupplied unfortunately in areas that people actually want to live and work and in some states you really do have to do the hard yards in places that newbie migrants would not necessarily think of as being the Aussie beach paradise of their dreams. I don't know that anything is a cast iron cert for being on the list in future years - doctors probably, nurses most likely but it doesn't take a good yr 12 score to get into teaching so a lot of kids do it because they can and there is a glut of young new graduates who just cannot score long term jobs. Add to that the older teachers who have branched out and now find that with the slump their new careers aren't so certain either so they are trying to move back into teaching. They keep talking about the bulge which will retire and create huge needs but they've been talking about that for ages now and there's not much sign of lots of vacancies.

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I tend to agree with the others. Teachers seem in oversupply and so many here already looking for work or stuck doing supply work and never knowing till the phone rings in the morning if they'll have anything that day. One year contracts see a lot of applicants and permanent long term positions are rare. Jobs can see hundreds of applicants apply, even for a job share or one year contract.

 

There can be work found in the regional areas, rural and so on but they come with their own problems as many don't want to live so remote. Of course its natural for migrants to want to be in places that are generally well populated, offer the things they are used to etc. Not many migrants look to live in a small town with a population of perhaps only hundreds, miles from anything else.

 

High school, its science and maths seem to be the in demand subjects. But even those can fill up depending on the area. Primary teaching seems to be hugely over subscribed just about everywhere in the cities and large towns.

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Many thanks again for your responses.

 

Unfortunately, my degree is in law, so maths and science for secondary is out I'm afraid.

 

My other half is currently a plasterer and has a past in the coal mining industry. However. He is 50yrs old now so he cannot be a main visa applicant.

 

I've been looking in to doing the Early Years 1 year course in/around Perth, but then, you can only work for 20hrs a week (or 40hrs per fortnight).

 

It's so difficult, like many, this has been something that I've thought about on and off for years and now the family agree, I cannot use my current qualifications to get us out there!!

 

Thanks again

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