Teaching Jobs in Australia

Update April 2010

Teaching in Australia is becoming an increasingly desirable option for many overseas candidates in the education sector. Those who have made the move explain how education has moved to the very top of the political agenda in Australia and as such schools in Australia have considerably more funding than those in the UK. With smaller class sizes and a more relaxed lifestyle your teaching skills are given the opportunity to flourish.

The Australian government welcomes overseas candidates choosing to teach in Australia not only to fill the skill shortage in many areas – but also to add to the cultural richness of Australian schools. For this reason it is relatively easy to transfer your skills and teach in Australia.

Maths, Science and English secondary school teachers are always in demand as are Design and Technology, food technology and hospitality teachers. Candidates who have experience of teaching Yrs 11 & 12 (A-Level in the UK) will generally be favoured by schools. This is especially the case in the independent sector, where it may be easier for overseas teachers to find jobs as they don't need to go through the various processes involved in getting registration to teach in government schools.

At the moment there is not a high demand for primary teachers for permanent positions in Australia, however, there is lots of casual (Supply) work for primary teachers with DET approval. If you wish to find teaching work in Australia visit our Job Portal and uplpoad your CV and make your details visible to over 550 recruiters and employers across Australia.

Anyone looking to teach in Australia should get together a portfolio containing video's of their lessons, examples of their students work and other evidence to prove the level of their standard.

The starting salary for newly qualified teachers in Australia is around AUS$42,000 rising to around AUS$68,000 after 8 or 9 years in the public sector. This will be slightly higher in New South Wales and in the private sector. Roles such as head of department, principle or assistant principle will also demand higher salaries up to around AUS$100,000.

If you are considering teaching in Australia you need to carefully consider the area you wish to find work. There will be poorer schools in Inner-city areas compared to tiny schools in small townships that can be very isolated – both offer their own unique challenges and opportunities to further your career. To find out more about teaching in Australia and speak to people already teaching in Australia join our Australian teaching community on our job portal.

Registering as a teacher in Australia

Australia has a federal government system with federal and state laws. In the teaching profession, each state has an organisation that is responsible for teacher registration or accreditation.

In order to teach in an Australian state school, teachers must be registered with the relevant state body. You don't need to be registered to teach in a private school.

Registration must take place with the Education department of the state or Territory in which you wish to teach – so think carefully about where you wish to teach in Australia and check out the number of teaching vacancies available in the area. A list of the teaching association websites for each state can be found below.

The application process can take up to 2 months

Victoria - http://www.vit.vic.edu.au/content.asp?Document_ID=234

NSW - http://www.teach.nsw.edu.au/apply

Tasmania - http://trb.tas.gov.au/

South Australia - http://www.trb.sa.edu.au/

Queensland - http://www.qct.edu.au/registration/index.html

Northern Territory - http://www.trb.nt.gov.au/registration/index.shtml

ACT - http://www.det.act.gov.au/employment/teach_in_canberra/recruitment

Western Australia - http://www.wacot.wa.edu.au/index.php?section=24

Skills assessment

Overseas Trained Teachers wanting to teach in Australia need to have their qualifications assessed.

If you are looking to permanently migrate to Australia you will need to undergo a Teaching Skills Assessment prior to arriving in Australia – your migration agent will be able to advise you about this.

Those looking to teach in Australia on a working holiday visa should have a Comparability Education Assessment done on their qualifications.

A Comparability Education Assessment involves submitting your documents to Teaching Australia and paying a fee of around AU$450. Teaching Australia will evaluate your international qualification.

You will need to supply the following documents:

• Your degrees, diplomas or certificates in the original language
• Official transcripts of qualifications or student book mark sheets in the original language
• Teacher registration/licensing certificate or statement from an appropriate authority of your eligibility as a teacher
• Evidence of supervised teaching practice
• Evidence of employment experience after graduation to the present
• English translations of all documents not in English
• Evidence of English language ability.
• All documentation must be certified true copies. Note that the name, status and address of the person certifying the copy must be clearly evident. Wherever possible, an official stamp should accompany their signature.

The documents you submit must be provided with an English translation that has been prepared and certified by a translation service approved by Teaching Australia. If you are applying from outside Australia, check with the Australian Embassy or equivalent for advice. For more information please visit http://teachingaustralia.edu.au/

If you wish to find teaching work in Australia visit our Job Portal and uplpoad your CV and make your details visible to over 550 recruiters and employers across Australia