Do Sixth form Chemistry teachers exist?

[summer1979]

Hello

New member here!!! I have wanted to emigrate for years and I've finally convinced my OH to seriously consider taking the plunge!

As a nurse I'm on the MLTSL, but my OH who teaches A level chemistry at a sixth form college doesn't seem to think he will find employment in Australia as his occupation doesn't seem to exist?

Students in Oz seem to leave school in year 12 and go straight to university.

Please can someone give us some hope that year 12/13 teachers do exist??

Thankyou!

[ali]

He could consider teaching HS chemistry.  It's not that his occupation doesn't exist - but that the Aus education system doesn't have  6th form college or A levels - the equivalent of that is done at school ready for Uni entry.  He could look at jobs that teach years 11/12 (we don't have year 13)

[Marisawright]

In England students do A levels to get into uni, in Scotland they do Highers, in Australia the equivalent is the HSC. Most schools run from Year 7 all the way through to Year 12. 

My husband was a Physics teacher in Scotland and he only taught Higher physics  (years 11 and 12). He had no trouble getting work in Australia but he had to teach all levels in all sciences 

Edited December 23, 2019 by Marisawright

[Jimmy P]

The occupation is generic Secondary Teacher, not subject specific for visa purposes. As far as I am aware it is still on the Skills Shortage lists

[Marisawright]

@summer1979 - just thought I'd amplify my reply. 

He should have no difficulty getting work as there is a shortage of science teachers with the skills and knowledge to teach the higher years. However, it's very likely he'll have to teach junior science as well.  He's more likely to find a specialist Chemistry job in a private school - and private schools are far more widespread in Australia so that's a fairly big market. It depends where you're planning to move to.

[summer1979]

Thankyou so much everyone for your messages. Lots to f research to do I think!! X

[Marisawright]

Yes, I'd suggest he looks into it carefully.   And if he's not keen enough to do the research himself, then he's not keen, and you should think very carefully before migrating.

The fact that you've "finally convinced" your partner to migrate rings alarm bells for me.  Ask yourself honestly whether you've really convinced him, or whether you've just nagged or browbeaten him to the point where he's giving in for a quiet life?

If it's the latter, don't do it.   Migrating is a difficult, stressful, and very expensive process.  It sometimes feels that if something can go wrong, it will go wrong.   If you're both eager to go, you'll get through it.   If one of you isn't so keen, the first time something goes wrong, you'll get, "I never wanted to come here, this is all your fault" and it will just get worse from there.  Marriages have broken up over it. 

I worry in your case because it sounds as though your husband is happy being a specialist Chemistry teacher and though he'll easily get work teaching in Australia, he'll struggle to find the same environment in Australia.  If he's going to be discontented with his work life, that will be a barrier to him settling.

  I've heard people say that teaching in the state system here is better than teaching in the English one.  However coming from the Scottish system, my husband didn't like it because (like your oh) he was a specialist, and he was horrified to find he had to teach all the sciences at junior level, and was even expected to cover occasionally in other subjects altogether - something that would never be allowed in Scotland.   

Because of that, he moved into the private school system (equivalent of English public schools).  He was pleased to be teaching Physics again, but he didn't like the snobbery and he didn't like the hours. Teachers in private schools have to participate in supervising sports activities as well, so although he had a lighter teaching load, he had to work every Saturday morning and the occasional  Sunday carnival.  These days he teaches in a college for foreign (mainly Asian) students who want to get their HSC to get into university.   He's able to specialise BUT he's struggling with students who can barely speak English. 

He had an affair with an Australian girl, left me and married her, so he's still in Australia.  However if we had just split up and he'd stayed single, I think he would've headed back to Scotland because although he liked Australia, he missed his Scottish teaching career.

Edited December 25, 2019 by Marisawright

[summer1979]

Thankyou MarisaWright for your very honest account of working in Oz. I'm so sorry you went through all that heartache with your husband.

I too am Scottish born but have lived in Yorkshire since childhood with Scottish parents!

Yes I take all your points on board - moving to Oz is something I've wanted for a long time, and as a nurse I saw no barriers.

My oh on the other hand has done lots of research and was extremely hesitant after realising A level teaching did not exist in Oz.

I agree, I don't think he would be happy at all if he didn't get a similar position. He point blank refuses to teach secondary school again!!! Lol

He's In a management position currently as head of curriculum, and loves his job, so I know for a fact, working as your husband did, would make him very unhappy indeed. Hmmm

 

[Marisawright]

1 hour ago, summer1979 said:

My oh on the other hand has done lots of research and was extremely hesitant after realising A level teaching did not exist in Oz.

I agree, I don't think he would be happy at all if he didn't get a similar position. He point blank refuses to teach secondary school again!!! Lol

He's In a management position currently as head of curriculum, and loves his job, so I know for a fact, working as your husband did, would make him very unhappy indeed. Hmmm

 

That's a worry.   I think you need to think very carefully before pushing him to migrate, in that case.  There are some institutions which offer HSC courses outside of secondary schools - but most of them are aimed at less able students who left school early and then regretted it, or overseas students hoping to qualify for an Australian university. If he's used to dealing with the best high achievers then that's not what he's going to get in those places.  Plus, those places are mainly in the big capital cities where house prices are high and you probably can't afford to live anywhere near a beach - which most British migrants hanker for!

I think he would struggle to get a senior non-teaching position in a secondary school, because he'd be up against the fact that he has no experience of the Australian curriculum.  The thinknig would be, how can he lead others if he's never taught it himself?

I'm sorry to be so negative.  It's always hard when one partner wants to migrate and the other isn't interested.    Why are you so keen to migrate, if you don't mind me asking?

Edited December 26, 2019 by Marisawright

[summer1979]

Oh I'm not pushing him as such, it's a topic we've discussed loads over the years. He would be as keen as me if the correct job was available!

He's got an autoimmune disorder which is hugely improved in warmer weather, so that's a pull.

Honestly, I'm just fed up of working for the NHS, the grey skies, the appalling situation of our government and yearn for a better future for our children and us! 

I hoped we would both have transferable careers but it's not as straight forward is it?

I have family in Sydney, and other close family live abroad and I just finally feel ready for a huge change!! (I'm 40) so time is of the essence!!

X

[Wanderer Returns]

On 24/12/2019 at 20:32, Jimmy P said:

The occupation is generic Secondary Teacher, not subject specific for visa purposes. As far as I am aware it is still on the Skills Shortage lists

This is currently the case, although it seems that professions can quickly be added or removed from the skills shortage list, so I'd bear that in mind.

I previously taught in NSW and QLD, and I’m returning to teach in Queensland in January. To teach in any particular state you need to be registered with the appropriate body. In Queensland it’s the Queensland College Teachers (QCT), and in New South Wales it’s the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). They need to approve your overseas qualifications first, and make sure that they're comparable with equivalent Australian teaching qualifications. If your OH has a PGCE with QTS, then he should have no problem getting registered in any Australian state. The process can take a few weeks and there are quite a few hoops to jump through from recollection.

As others have stated, Australian high school education finishes at the end of Year 12. Most students will be 17 by then, although some can be in their early 20s! Year 11/12 students are referred to as ‘seniors’, and the curriculum is similar to what British Year 12/13 study. To the best of my knowledge sixth form colleges don't exist in Australia, so your OH would work in a high school and teach students from Year 7 onward. That might be a bit of a deal-breaker!

[Jimmy P]

15 years in a 6th Form College in UK was my background, teaching a specialised subject (Accounting). I knew when we moved I wouldn't be working in the same environment. I have only worked in the private (Catholic) sector in Qld, and after 5 years I have carved a new path in terms of General Maths (Maths A) and junior maths. In a 5-12 school I have had supervisions well out of my comfort zone, from Y5 French to Y12 Drama.  Plus, you might also get some RE to fill up a timetable initially.  Probably wouldn't get Y12 classes in your first year, need to prove yourself.  Also, don't underestimate the difference in assessment compared to A level.

[Marisawright]

11 minutes ago, Jimmy P said:

15 years in a 6th Form College in UK was my background, teaching a specialised subject (Accounting). .... In a 5-12 school I have had supervisions well out of my comfort zone, from Y5 French to Y12 Drama.  Plus, you might also get some RE to fill up a timetable initially.  Probably wouldn't get Y12 classes in your first year, need to prove yourself. 

My ex's experience exactly.   It was astonishing the range of subjects he got landed with - subjects he hadn't even done at school himself.

[Skani]

11 hours ago, Wanderer Returns said:

To the best of my knowledge sixth form colleges don't exist in Australia, so your OH would work in a high school and teach students from Year 7 onward.

The Tasmanian government school system has separate colleges for years 11 and 12  and  Catholic Education Tasmania has a year 11-12 College in Hobart .  The ACT public education system also has year 11-12 colleges in Canberra.

[Quoll]

2 hours ago, Skani said:

The Tasmanian government school system has separate colleges for years 11 and 12  and  Catholic Education Tasmania has a year 11-12 College in Hobart .  The ACT public education system also has year 11-12 colleges in Canberra.

ACT college positive are highly fought over and highly unlikely to be single subject.- the usual  pathway is for teachers to have done their  time in HS before landing a plum college position which they like to hang on to for  as long as they can. He's have more chance of success if he can stretch to teach advanced maths as well  as chemistry but it's see several years in HS before he gets a college role. 

If he were to give it a go, he should apply for a sabbatical and hang on to his big to see how things turn out so he can go back if it all goes belly up. 

Wouldn't be doing it for the "better future for the kids" - it won't necessarily be better, it'll probably be different but there's nothing magical about it and if they're anything like many kids they'll be gone once they've done uni and headed off to pastures greener. That's not to say they'll be very disadvantaged, they shouldn't be, but there are often more and better opportunities for them outside Australia.

[SWMOY04]

Yup. 

I know a specialist maths teacher from UK who has landed a maths teaching job. Only to discover they also have to teach biology, psychology and RE as well. 

I think the general rule of thumb is that children go into education from ages 5-18 and at that point they are ready for Uni. If they exit at 16 in whatever system, most countries have institutions to facilitate this. 

 

So some countries have grade 1 (age 5) up to year 13/form 6/ upper 6th (age 18)

Others have Prep/Foundation (age 5) then year 1 (age 6) up to year 12 (age 18)

Others have kindergarten (age 4 -not formally school), Prep (age 5) then year 1 (age 6) also up to year 12 (age 18)

Then others (UStates especially) have kindergarten (age 5) then 1st grade (age 6) up to 12th grade (age 18)

 

Probably easier to track education based on the ages being taught and wether it's an age 16 exit pathway or an age 18 exit into University pathway 

[ali]

My daughter is a 2nd year graduate and an English major with a minor in careers.  She's been at her current school for 18 months, In July she'll be considered for permanency (they won't consider offering a permanent contract until she's been there 2 years and proven herself).  She stared off teaching 0.5 English and 0.5 Hass (Geography and History)  In between she's also taken English Literature, Archeology, and IT.  This year she's moved into HASS full time and is also teaching Career and Enterprise and Aboriginal studies - this will be the first year she's got all middle and upper school.  You do seem to have to be a jack of all trades