where are all the teachers?

man_no_plan

Giovanna Freezing Minibike wrote: »

Everyone keeps mentioning the shortage of Home Ec and Irish teachers, which are both my subjects!
While there have been many of these jobs advertised in the area I want to move to- midlands, very few are actual jobs with a prospect of permanacy, they are mostly career break, mat leave, job share etc...
I have a permanent job and a family, so wouldn't accept anything unless someone has resigned or retired and these are few and far between.

I'm wondering is it that Home ec teachers, predominantly female, have more babies than the average teacher and therefore more mat leaves, career breaks etc???

You cant gets job teaching Irish O you can't get home ec and Irish?

man_no_plan

EmzBoBo wrote: »

I've just finished a secondary teaching B.Ed degree (4 years).
I have applied for every job within a 1 1/2 hr commute from me, and only heard back from one of those jobs... to tell me that I wasn't even getting an interview. This is pretty much the same experience of everyone in my year that wants to teach this coming September. Those jobs were for 8-11 hr temporary contracts, so I'd still have needed another job in order to pay my bills.
I was discussing this with my course coordinator last week, and she looked through the list of schools I'd applied for with me and was able to tell me, quite emphatically, that the jobs in those schools were already gone, because "so and so from the Class of X is the teacher already in that school, and they should be due CID soon". As an NQT, it's really disheartening to hear that the "vast amount of job opportunities available to us" that the Teaching Council couldn't stop patting themselves on the back for at one of their induction talks in College, was a lie.
Nobody in my year wants to end up unemployed next year, so people are looking at non-teaching, but related fields. One of the guys in my year has moved to London to do this, because, as he puts it "only having an 8 or 11 hour contract, if we were lucky, would be unsustainable long term".
I myself have obtained a full time permanent contract in a school just outside London, so I'll be moving over at the end of the summer. I imagine more of my year will follow us over in the not too distant future, because sadly the jobs just aren't available at home.
Nobody in my year (myself included) wants to emigrate. I'd love to be able to get a job in Ireland, but they just don't exist, and I haven't worked this hard to get my degree, just to spend the foreseeable future hoping to get some subbing hours while working several other jobs just to pay my bills!

Out of interest, what are your subjects?

maynooth_rules

EmzBoBo wrote: »

I've just finished a secondary teaching B.Ed degree (4 years).
I have applied for every job within a 1 1/2 hr commute from me, and only heard back from one of those jobs... to tell me that I wasn't even getting an interview. This is pretty much the same experience of everyone in my year that wants to teach this coming September. Those jobs were for 8-11 hr temporary contracts, so I'd still have needed another job in order to pay my bills.
I was discussing this with my course coordinator last week, and she looked through the list of schools I'd applied for with me and was able to tell me, quite emphatically, that the jobs in those schools were already gone, because "so and so from the Class of X is the teacher already in that school, and they should be due CID soon". As an NQT, it's really disheartening to hear that the "vast amount of job opportunities available to us" that the Teaching Council couldn't stop patting themselves on the back for at one of their induction talks in College, was a lie.
Nobody in my year wants to end up unemployed next year, so people are looking at non-teaching, but related fields. One of the guys in my year has moved to London to do this, because, as he puts it "only having an 8 or 11 hour contract, if we were lucky, would be unsustainable long term".
I myself have obtained a full time permanent contract in a school just outside London, so I'll be moving over at the end of the summer. I imagine more of my year will follow us over in the not too distant future, because sadly the jobs just aren't available at home.
Nobody in my year (myself included) wants to emigrate. I'd love to be able to get a job in Ireland, but they just don't exist, and I haven't worked this hard to get my degree, just to spend the foreseeable future hoping to get some subbing hours while working several other jobs just to pay my bills!

What are your subjects? That's the big thing really. I am History and Geography and it has been a slog for me for years. Only finally settled now. I know Irish teachers who straight out of their dip have had jobs thrown at them. A colleague last year even got offered an Irish job after not turning up to the interview! Really there should have been a cap put in colleges for over subscribed subjects. I made the mistake of picking my subjects for the Dip without putting consideration into job prospects. That was in 2007. Clearly there are many people doing the same now. I know its easy to say get qualified in the subjects you love, but hdip students really need to research the dour job prospects with certain subjects. Again though, I do believe colleges should have a bigger role to play in that guidance.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

I would like to teach mainly home ec, but don't mind some irish with it. Have had 2 interviews , came second in first one , heard later someone in the school already got the job, second one was when she mentioned the job share teacher from last year, I got offered 11 hours for that even though it was advertised as 22.
I ring the schools and ask where the hours are coming from to see if it is worth applying.
A good example was a job being advertised for an etb job in cavan, the secretary said ' well there certainly wasn't any retirement, I don't know what that job is at all, maybe it's a career break or something '. Indicating there was no job at all!

evolving_doors

Giovanna Freezing Minibike wrote: »

I would like to teach mainly home ec, but don't mind some irish with it. Have had 2 interviews , came second in first one , heard later someone in the school already got the job, second one was when she mentioned the job share teacher from last year, I got offered 11 hours for that even though it was advertised as 22.
I ring the schools and ask where the hours are coming from to see if it is worth applying.
A good example was a job being advertised for an etb job in cavan, the secretary said ' well there certainly wasn't any retirement, I don't know what that job is at all, maybe it's a career break or something '. Indicating there was no job at all!

Better careful what schools tell you when you inquire about how a position came about. They might be trying to put you off applying to 'keep it' for someone. It might even be a son/daughter of a friend of the secretary's too.

I'm of the opinion that ETB's would have a higher chance of a more diverse/larger interview panel compared to say a voluntary school. What do ye think about that?

infor123

Exiled1 wrote: »

The increase in Deputy Principals in large schools has caused a big increase in new jobs. Also extra hours given to schools this year.
Problem continues for schools to source Irish and Home Ec. Also problems appearing in Maths, particularly since the TC has become very sticky re. recognition of maths qualifications. Lucky grads this year!!
As for the poster who saw the other candidate going to the staffroom......... nothing unusual in that since everybody has to be effectively interviewed at least twice before getting a sniff at a cid.

Absolutely, j totally understand that you have to be re interviewed, but as a professional have a bit of respect for the poor person waiting to be interviewed - don't make it so obvious that you are the one getting the job by swanning into the staffroom and acting like you own the place! As I say, I have been that person going for the interview and knowing it was mine pretty much like but I wouldn't have cut the person up waiting to go in.

As for interview experience, they can keep it! I've years of teaching experience and interview experience - I had a permanent job but left it for personal reasons to move home. Don't get me wrong I've been lucky and in a job constantly but I have to keep applying for jobs that may end up with a CID.

sitstill

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Better careful what schools tell you when you inquire about how a position came about. They might be trying to put you off applying to 'keep it' for someone. It might even be a son/daughter of a friend of the secretary's too.

I'm of the opinion that ETB's would have a higher chance of a more diverse/larger interview panel compared to say a voluntary school. What do ye think about that?

Also I wouldn't be going by what the secretary says. She'd probably know if there was a retirement coming up alright, but she wouldn't know the ins and outs of where hours are coming from so in the example above, you could have ruled yourself out of getting that job!

tuisginideach

Ity's not just that Irish teachers can't be found - it's that Irish teachers with good Irish can't be found. See yesterday's report in Tuairisc.ie which translates as 'problem throughout the system regarding teachers' standard of Irish' (Chief Inspector, Dept Ed.) Harold Hislop has said that the Dept is going to tackle the problem of teachers' standard of Irish' .
Sadly, the fact that a person has a BA/BEd or any other modern-day degree in/with Irish doesn't indicate that their Irish is good enough to teach it.

‘Fadhb ann ar fud an chórais maidir le caighdeán Gaeilge na múinteoirí’ — Príomhchigire na Roinne Oideachais

Tá ráite ag Harold Hislop go bhfuil an Roinn ag dul i ngleic leis an bhfadhb a bhaineann le caighdeán Gaeilge na múinteoirí
http://tuairisc.ie/is-cinnte-nach-bhfuil-caighdean-gaeilge-na-muinteoiri-sasuil-priomhchigire-na-roinne-oideachais/

2xj3hplqgsbkym

sitstill wrote: »

Also I wouldn't be going by what the secretary says. She'd probably know if there was a retirement coming up alright, but she wouldn't know the ins and outs of where hours are coming from so in the example above, you could have ruled yourself out of getting that job!

In my school the secretary knows everything, so I definitely would take heed of her answer, often over the principal who obviously has other priorities.

I did apply anyway, and got called for interview 2 days after I submitted the application, so I asked HR, she confirmed it is career break so I declined interview. She called back to say that if I go for the interview I could be placed on the cavan etb panel if I didn't get/want that job, but I declined again as no other etb schools in cavan/ monaghan were in my area.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Gebgbegb wrote: »

Better careful what schools tell you when you inquire about how a position came about. They might be trying to put you off applying to 'keep it' for someone. It might even be a son/daughter of a friend of the secretary's too.

I'm of the opinion that ETB's would have a higher chance of a more diverse/larger interview panel compared to say a voluntary school. What do ye think about that?

If they are trying to keep the job for someone else then I would rather let them have it as they would obviously be preferred.

I have only ever worked in voluntary secondary schools and so far through applying for etb jobs I am not impressed.
The application forms are ridiculously long and so many questions are irrelevant, particularly to an experienced teacher.
The panel idea I think is awful, interviewing for a job that might arise in a school you know nothing about is completely ineffective and inefficient.

The way jobs are advertised is dishonest, e.g . I saw one school advertising home economics and economics- the school doesn't offer economics and will not be teaching it next year!

The principal from the school you are applying to is often not on the interview panel- so you have no idea if you will even get on.

So maybe you are correct the panel may be more diverse, but at least with a voluntary secondary you apply to the actual school you want to teach in and you meet your prospective boss.

EmzBoBo

man_no_plan wrote: »

Out of interest, what are your subjects?

maynooth_rules wrote: »

What are your subjects? That's the big thing really. I am History and Geography and it has been a slog for me for years. Only finally settled now. I know Irish teachers who straight out of their dip have had jobs thrown at them. A colleague last year even got offered an Irish job after not turning up to the interview! Really there should have been a cap put in colleges for over subscribed subjects. I made the mistake of picking my subjects for the Dip without putting consideration into job prospects. That was in 2007. Clearly there are many people doing the same now. I know its easy to say get qualified in the subjects you love, but hdip students really need to research the dour job prospects with certain subjects. Again though, I do believe colleges should have a bigger role to play in that guidance.

I only have one subject unfortunately - Music.
If I could go back to before I started this degree, I'd absolutely still do it, but what annoyed me was that the Teaching Council changed my course after we'd already started it, and took away our courses second subject. We only found out about the Teaching Council's decision to do this in 3rd Year, since we'd have done the 2nd subject in 4th Year. We used to have a second subject recognised by the Teaching Council to teach up to Junior Cert level, but in their infinite stupidity wisdom, they decided that we "didn't need a second subject, because there'd be plenty of hours in music".
Unofficially, I also sat through the PME English modules this year, but because the teaching council took away our second subject, I may as well not have bothered. My year is the first to graduate without a second subject.
I know eventually I'll have to go back and try to add on another subject (if I ever come home that is), but any I've looked at are very expensive to do, so I'd have to make the decision between doing the Masters I really want, or adding on an extra subject for potential employment opportunities back home.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

EmzBoBo wrote: »

I only have one subject unfortunately - Music.
If I could go back to before I started this degree, I'd absolutely still do it, but what annoyed me was that the Teaching Council changed my course after we'd already started it, and took away our courses second subject. We only found out about the Teaching Council's decision to do this in 3rd Year, since we'd have done the 2nd subject in 4th Year. We used to have a second subject recognised by the Teaching Council to teach up to Junior Cert level, but in their infinite stupidity wisdom, they decided that we "didn't need a second subject, because there'd be plenty of hours in music".
Unofficially, I also sat through the PME English modules this year, but because the teaching council took away our second subject, I may as well not have bothered. My year is the first to graduate without a second subject.
I know eventually I'll have to go back and try to add on another subject (if I ever come home that is), but any I've looked at are very expensive to do, so I'd have to make the decision between doing the Masters I really want, or adding on an extra subject for potential employment opportunities back home.

That's awful, I have heard similar stories about TC, very unfair.
I did suggest to someone before , not sure if it was you, about the maths course in DCU. You need to be teaching in a school to do it, it is part time over two years, and it is something like €500 which you get back at the end. As far as I know the teacher in my school who is doing it, didn't even do HL maths for her LC.

EmzBoBo

Giovanna Freezing Minibike wrote: »

That's awful, I have heard similar stories about TC, very unfair.
I did suggest to someone before , not sure if it was you, about the maths course in DCU. You need to be teaching in a school to do it, it is part time over two years, and it is something like €500 which you get back at the end. As far as I know the teacher in my school who is doing it, didn't even do HL maths for her LC.

Yeah, our head lecturers complained about it and tried to argue that
1: the Teaching Council were being ridiculous,
2: if they were adamant about bringing that rule in, that it should only affect incoming 1st years, and not those already doing the degree.
Long story short, apparently the Teaching Council laughed them out of the building, and told them that if they didn't like it, then the Teaching Council would just stop validating our degree. You'd have to wonder what planet they're living on! :mad:
It wasn't me, no, but I really wouldn't subject anyone to me trying to teach Maths - that would be my idea of a complete nightmare... If/when I go back to do a second subject, it'll either be English or History, since they rounded off my top 3 subjects when I was in school, and I'd actually be interested in teaching them.

man_no_plan

sitstill wrote: »

Also I wouldn't be going by what the secretary says. She'd probably know if there was a retirement coming up alright, but she wouldn't know the ins and outs of where hours are coming from so in the example above, you could have ruled yourself out of getting that job!

Sure the secretary wouldn't know what way you be jigging around the timetable.

As for the home ec and economics , you have to advertise the registered subjects. Probably home ec and junior business. There's no such qualification so you go with economics

2xj3hplqgsbkym

man_no_plan wrote: »

Sure the secretary wouldn't know what way you be jigging around the timetable.

As for the home ec and economics , you have to advertise the registered subjects. Probably home ec and junior business. There's no such qualification so you go with economics

No matter how much jigging about someone does, a full time home ec job with your own hours does not appear from no where unless someone has resigned or retired.
No you don't have to advertise what the qualification is, see for example the job advertised last week in Dublin for home ec and maths- no such qualification. If they want home ec and JC business that's what should be advertised, also business is a subject at LC, Economics is a separate subject.

man_no_plan

Giovanna Freezing Minibike wrote: »

No matter how much jigging about someone does, a full time home ec job with your own hours does not appear from no where unless someone has resigned or retired.
No you don't have to advertise what the qualification is, see for example the job advertised last week in Dublin for home ec and maths- no such qualification. If they want home ec and JC business that's what should be advertised, also business is a subject at LC, Economics is a separate subject.

I don't know about that but in our ETB you can only advertise a job where someone can be TC registered for both subjects. We can't advertise chemistry and maths for example and hire a chemistry only registered teacher.

My point about the JC business stands in light of the above.

You shouldn't be allowed to just make stuff up.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

man_no_plan wrote: »

I don't know about that but in our ETB you can only advertise a job where someone can be TC registered for both subjects. We can't advertise chemistry and maths for example and hire a chemistry only registered teacher.

My point about the JC business stands in light of the above.

You shouldn't be allowed to just make stuff up.

I didn't know that was the case in ETB schools, thanks for clarifying, the school that advertised Home Ec and Maths was a voluntary secondary alright.

Also teachers can be hired as a Biology teacher for example in a voluntary secondary and end up teaching maths ,even though they aren't registered to teach it. It is unreal the amount of teachers in my school who are teaching subjects they are not qualified to teach.

Corkgirl18

man_no_plan wrote: »

I don't know about that but in our ETB you can only advertise a job where someone can be TC registered for both subjects. We can't advertise chemistry and maths for example and hire a chemistry only registered teacher.

My point about the JC business stands in light of the above.

You shouldn't be allowed to just make stuff up.

That is definitely not the case in all ETBs unfortunately! Last year I applied for a job advertising my subjects but I ended up teaching neither of those subjects and totally different ones!
Similar things have happened to a good few people I know.

thefasteriwalk

Corkgirl18 wrote: »

That is definitely not the case in all ETBs unfortunately! Last year I applied for a job advertising my subjects but I ended up teaching neither of those subjects and totally different ones!
Similar things have happened to a good few people I know.

That's awful. I don't think I could do that. What did they make you teach?

TheDriver

There can be a number of factors which would result in the above as Corkgirl18 as suggested. The main one I can think of is the search for say a business and geog teacher. out of all the candidates, a great teacher gets the position and fills it. However lets say a school also has a position doing classes and resource that hasn't yet been advertised and the school recognises that no.2 is a very good teacher and wants to hold onto them. However the timetable may have already been made out or a last minute departure/leave is at the Principals door so that no.2 candidate could be teaching other stuff. However it would be unusual to be teaching things that are totally away from your knowledge base. e.g. a biology teacher might do some chemistry but not spanish.

TheDriver

Good teachers will always get a job (once you have 2 subjects etc). However each year I see the following:
NQts coming out from college where you wonder how they got through their qualification (as if the college is afraid to tackle their shortcomings and kick the can down the road)
Applicants whose subject is never going to be a runner e.g. CSPE teacher only. You need 2 subjects
Applicants not having their stuff in order e.g. vetting disclosure (not vetting), TC registration. Some applicants have lied in the past, you couldn't make it up
Badly written application forms and CVs. Remember we're shortlisting based on what you wrote. Having the wrong school name is bad for starters not to mention just slops on the page. Its indicative of the effort you'd put into teaching. Sell yourself properly and get advice on CVs.
Dreadful interview skills: Learning off answers however the difficult questions are not to see your answer but rather to see how you deal with a sudden uncertain situation, same as a student does something suddenly in your classroom. Also dress properly for interview: I have seen very very bad outfits ranging from denim to too much flesh.
About 60% upwards of candidates who walk into an interview are non runners for many differing reasons

I don't want to sound negative but unfortunately I have seen qualified teachers over the years and I really would struggle to see how they would function in a school environment.

Mardy Bum

TheDriver wrote: »

Good teachers will always get a job (once you have 2 subjects etc). However each year I see the following:
NQts coming out from college where you wonder how they got through their qualification (as if the college is afraid to tackle their shortcomings and kick the can down the road)
Applicants whose subject is never going to be a runner e.g. CSPE teacher only. You need 2 subjects
Applicants not having their stuff in order e.g. vetting disclosure (not vetting), TC registration. Some applicants have lied in the past, you couldn't make it up
Badly written application forms and CVs. Remember we're shortlisting based on what you wrote. Having the wrong school name is bad for starters not to mention just slops on the page. Its indicative of the effort you'd put into teaching. Sell yourself properly and get advice on CVs.
Dreadful interview skills: Learning off answers however the difficult questions are not to see your answer but rather to see how you deal with a sudden uncertain situation, same as a student does something suddenly in your classroom. Also dress properly for interview: I have seen very very bad outfits ranging from denim to too much flesh.
About 60% upwards of candidates who walk into an interview are non runners for many differing reasons

I don't want to sound negative but unfortunately I have seen qualified teachers over the years and I really would struggle to see how they would function in a school environment.

Quoting for emphasis. The first sentence is also very important and more times that not holds through. Less whinging and a more proactive approach needed for a lot of teachers.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

TheDriver wrote: »

Good teachers will always get a job (once you have 2 subjects etc). However each year I see the following:
NQts coming out from college where you wonder how they got through their qualification (as if the college is afraid to tackle their shortcomings and kick the can down the road)
Applicants whose subject is never going to be a runner e.g. CSPE teacher only. You need 2 subjects
Applicants not having their stuff in order e.g. vetting disclosure (not vetting), TC registration. Some applicants have lied in the past, you couldn't make it up
Badly written application forms and CVs. Remember we're shortlisting based on what you wrote. Having the wrong school name is bad for starters not to mention just slops on the page. Its indicative of the effort you'd put into teaching. Sell yourself properly and get advice on CVs.
Dreadful interview skills: Learning off answers however the difficult questions are not to see your answer but rather to see how you deal with a sudden uncertain situation, same as a student does something suddenly in your classroom. Also dress properly for interview: I have seen very very bad outfits ranging from denim to too much flesh.
About 60% upwards of candidates who walk into an interview are non runners for many differing reasons

I don't want to sound negative but unfortunately I have seen qualified teachers over the years and I really would struggle to see how they would function in a school environment.

I think that's very condescending to say and insulting to many good teachers who don't have permanent jobs. I, and you I presume are lucky enough to have a permanent job, but I have seen many bad teachers ending up getting permanent or CID just because they landed in the school at the right time and I have seen many good teachers be very unlucky, being stuck with maternity leave after maternity leave.
Yes ideally the good teachers would get the jobs, but sadly not always the case.

Noveight

TheDriver wrote: »

NQts coming out from college where you wonder how they got through their qualification (as if the college is afraid to tackle their shortcomings and kick the can down the road)

This is huge. I'm half way through the PME myself and the poor standard of some peoples subject knowledge (particularly Irish) is unbelievable. Meanwhile the college just tip-toe around it and focus on other aspects of teaching i.e. classroom management, ethics, as if lesson planning will sort it all!

2xj3hplqgsbkym

Noveight wrote: »

This is huge. I'm half way through the PME myself and the poor standard of some peoples subject knowledge (particularly Irish) is unbelievable. Meanwhile the college just tip-toe around it and focus on other aspects of teaching i.e. classroom management, ethics, as if lesson planning will sort it all!

I agree, I would question the level of supervision or inspections PME students have. This year in my school there were several who had very poor classroom management , to the extent that teachers would have to go in to their classrooms and ask students to be quiet.
We don't have PMEs in Home ec as it is a BEd, so I'm not really sure the extent of the role of the supporting teacher in the school and if perhaps they should have had more support there, but I really could not see some of these becoming teachers at all. Also I noticed 1 of the 10 PMEs on my school had completely inappropriate clothing , nothing was said by her inspectors or school management.

williaint

EmzBoBo wrote: »

I've just finished a secondary teaching B.Ed degree (4 years).
I have applied for every job within a 1 1/2 hr commute from me, and only heard back from one of those jobs... to tell me that I wasn't even getting an interview. This is pretty much the same experience of everyone in my year that wants to teach this coming September. Those jobs were for 8-11 hr temporary contracts, so I'd still have needed another job in order to pay my bills.
I was discussing this with my course coordinator last week, and she looked through the list of schools I'd applied for with me and was able to tell me, quite emphatically, that the jobs in those schools were already gone, because "so and so from the Class of X is the teacher already in that school, and they should be due CID soon". As an NQT, it's really disheartening to hear that the "vast amount of job opportunities available to us" that the Teaching Council couldn't stop patting themselves on the back for at one of their induction talks in College, was a lie.
Nobody in my year wants to end up unemployed next year, so people are looking at non-teaching, but related fields. One of the guys in my year has moved to London to do this, because, as he puts it "only having an 8 or 11 hour contract, if we were lucky, would be unsustainable long term".
I myself have obtained a full time permanent contract in a school just outside London, so I'll be moving over at the end of the summer. I imagine more of my year will follow us over in the not too distant future, because sadly the jobs just aren't available at home.
Nobody in my year (myself included) wants to emigrate. I'd love to be able to get a job in Ireland, but they just don't exist, and I haven't worked this hard to get my degree, just to spend the foreseeable future hoping to get some subbing hours while working several other jobs just to pay my bills!

I know the situation may be bad in Ireland but from someone who has taught in several countries, trained and is currently teaching in England THINK TWICE before you teach in England. Whilst I have amazing colleagues in my current school, the system is horrific over here...you are constantly observed, every page of their copies has to be marked and this is routinely checked, even the homework you set is monitored, what homework you give and how often. Every child has a target grade in ALL year groups (starting in Y7, equivalent of 6th class) and if they do not achieve their target you are told pupils are not making "rapid progress". There are meetings constantly after school and oh yea, you are still stuck in school at the END of July. And as for behaviour...the kids are defiant and so disrespectful even for senior staff. They all have "issues" and you become part-time social worker, part-time bouncer.

When I was teaching in Europe, I always heard horror stories about teaching in England and just dismissed them because I thought oh it must be a rough school or a deprived area. No, all of the above applies to "outstanding" schools.

But back onto the topic of shortage...there is possibly a shortage in Maths, Science and MFL because trainees get £30k tax free to train in England along with a very reasonable student loan, so understandably a lot of Irish are being lured over to England but BEWARE of all that glitters. Plus you also have to complete your NQT year (and possibly a MEd from 2014) in England in order to become registered in Ireland so it will take a while for Irish people to escape from the realm of Ofsted, target grades and one month of summer holidays, before they come back to Ireland. But believe me, they will eventually!

Afroshack

Just to chip in on the England thing, it does make getting work MUCH easier back in Ireland. And not all schools are bad, pick your school carefully and try to enjoy living there. Too many NQTs I worked with in England would just go to work, chip away at the 300 hours and then fly home most weekends. If you make friends with other staff, socialise in the city at weekends and try to enjoy your job, it's very worthwhile. I went for one year and stayed for three, and I still miss it every day (except the fear of OFSTED)

williaint

Oh on a social level, it is absolutely fine. I am in a long term relationship over here and I regularly head to the pub with all my colleagues after work, there is a real departmental dynamic over here and the staff in the school are all so friendly and helpful. I did not have this in other countries and I have colleagues and now good friends from Romania, Germany, Ivory Coast, etc.

However, this does not mitigate the horrors of teaching in the English system and even if you're English, you will want out...just read the secret teacher articles in the Guardian. Teaching in England is like Ryanair cabin crew but for education, start young, do a few years and then leave and so the cycle continues. Keeps wages low (wages come out of the school budget over here so they always favour NQTs as they're cheaper) and it's easier for SLT to manage NQTs and RQTs.

I have taught in mixed and single sex state schools in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Greater Manchester and now Lancashire (we moved up North as cost of living is so much cheaper than in the South East) and yes some schools are better than others but bottom line the system is the same no matter where you go in England.

Right I better get ready for school, yea you are still teaching over here until July 25th! Do you really miss England that much? Hmmm...one month summer holidays vs three months summer holidays? I know what I'd rather! Oh and I didn't even get on to pay which yes is significantly lower than in Ireland. I'll save that for another commute to work!

joebloggs32

williaint wrote: »

Oh on a social level, it is absolutely fine. I am in a long term relationship over here and I regularly head to the pub with all my colleagues after work, there is a real departmental dynamic over here and the staff in the school are all so friendly and helpful. I did not have this in other countries and I have colleagues and now good friends from Romania, Germany, Ivory Coast, etc.

However, this does not mitigate the horrors of teaching in the English system and even if you're English, you will want out...just read the secret teacher articles in the Guardian. Teaching in England is like Ryanair cabin crew but for education, start young, do a few years and then leave and so the cycle continues. Keeps wages low (wages come out of the school budget over here so they always favour NQTs as they're cheaper) and it's easier for SLT to manage NQTs and RQTs.

I have taught in mixed and single sex state schools in Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Greater Manchester and now Lancashire (we moved up North as cost of living is so much cheaper than in the South East) and yes some schools are better than others but bottom line the system is the same no matter where you go in England.

Right I better get ready for school, yea you are still teaching over here until July 25th! Do you really miss England that much? Hmmm...one month summer holidays vs three months summer holidays? I know what I'd rather! Oh and I didn't even get on to pay which yes is significantly lower than in Ireland. I'll save that for another commute to work!

Just curious, how many weekly class contact
hours have you and how many weeks is the school year? What are standard class sizes like also.

On the wages issue, yes we would appear better off, but remember here in Ireland the standard rate cut off for tax is much lower, while we also have higher health care costs for example. I know the south east of England is very expensive but outside of that the cost of living would be similar if not less than over here in many parts.

Afroshack

Class contact hours are around 18-22 hours. Nearly always full time contracts, unless you specifically want part-time. Class sizes vary between 30 and 17, depending on the school. Rough areas and private schools usually have smaller classes, your standard comprehensive will have at least 25 per class. The school year is the same as Ireland, just add on 7 weeks at the end (a week off at the start of june)