Will things improve for teachers?

ByChance

I am due to begin the PDE in secondary teaching in September. I feel sick reading about the job situation. I don't like the idea that five years Uni will leave me with part time hours and a wage where I am working to survive.

Everyone keeps saying things will improve and just do the Dip to have it.

I don't mind a lack of permanency...but I don't like the idea of getting barely any hours.

My plan was to get it, and get out of Ireland. Get experience abroad and come back to a kinder economy. Realistically, though, how likely is this for teachers?

solerina

Obviously I cant see into the future but the job market for teachers is totally over saturated so I cant see anything improving for 10+ years at the very least...there are loads of people with good experience who cant get jobs so I would certainly consider that your teaching future will be abroad !!

Lord TSC

ByChance wrote: »

I don't like the idea that five years Uni will leave me with part time hours and a wage where I am working to survive.

Tbh, and I'm sorry to say this, that would be if you were very lucky....

chippers

ByChance wrote: »

My plan was to get it, and get out of Ireland. Get experience abroad and come back to a kinder economy. Realistically, though, how likely is this for teachers?

That was my plan. I'm now two years gone and I won't be coming back next year either. I'll reassess the situation again next year but I it doesn't look like I'll be coming home for a while! Who knows what the future holds but if you really want to pursue a teaching career be aware that you might be leaving Ireland for longer than you expect to.

chippers

ByChance wrote: »

Everyone keeps saying things will improve and just do the Dip to have it.

Who advised you on this? Did you ask any people who were actually teaching.

I'm not sure if it is very good advice. I reckon there is going to be a lot of people in the future who will have done the dip on this basis and never put it to use.

ByChance

Yeah, I know it's not great advice.

I've asked a wide range of people and despite the negative situation now. Surprisingly, a family friend who's been teaching twenty years and an NQT teaching in England have said I should do it.

Chippers - Do you have to return to complete the workshops/300 hours? Or are you working in a foreign school that the Council will recognize for those hours?

mj84

6,000 + is a lot of money to spend on something just to have it I suppose, also make sure you actually want to be a teacher, from what I read on the forum it is not what many people perceive it to be at all from the outside and you really have to have a passion for it and working with teenagers.

I think it would be good to have especially if you go and live abroad. Depending on where you end up of course. Countries like Canada and Australia have zero demand for secondary and primary teachers right now. It also very much depends on your subjects. You might be lucky also and fall into a good job. You just never know.

chippers

ByChance wrote: »

Chippers - Do you have to return to complete the workshops/300 hours? Or are you working in a foreign school that the Council will recognize for those hours?

I did the 300 hours in my first year away so thankfully I got it done before they introduced the workshops. I'm working in the Madrid public system and the Council recognised the hours the same as if I had of done them back home.