I'm a faculty member and want to spend some time in Australia |
Australia is a frequent destination for university faculty members taking sabbatical leave. Numerous schools offer both exchange programs and temporary placement to faculty. Through the Fulbright program, the United States government has agreements and grants which facilitate these exchanges.
The AEO has compiled information about teaching in Australia in reference to teaching qualifications needed, offices to contact and registration requirements. Our Teaching Brochure is also available in hard copy format.
A page listing Education Authorities in Australia is also helpful. This will give phone, fax and addresses for Associations of Independent Schools in Australia, Catholic Education Commissions as well as Departments of Education in Australia, all divided by state.
Australia's primary and secondary education systems serves over three million students in approximately ten thousand schools in Australia's eight states and territories. Each state is responsible for the administration of its system. States create and implement policy in the areas of teacher employment, student enrolment, curriculum content, course accreditation and student assessment.
There are two sectors in the Australian K-12 education system - government and non-government. While state governments are constitutionally obliged to provide education to all students, parents may choose non-government schooling. All government primary schools and most governernment secondary schools are co-educational. While most non-government primary schools are also co-educational, a large number of the non-government secondary schools are single sex. School education for Australian students entails following a system layered into three parts: kindergarden, primary school, and secondary school. The school year runs from late January/early February until early to mid December.
In the Northern Territory a single Education Department is responsible for primary, secondary and technical education. In the six Australian States and in the Australian Capital Territory, a separate body is responsible for Technical and Further Education (TAFE).
More information in the following categories is available specific to teaching in Australia:
NOOSR Info / Recognition of Foreign Degrees / Guidelines / Specific Australian Qualifications
Teacher Training in Australia
Teacher education in Australia is conducted at universities and involves a minumum of three years of full-time study, including a year of professional study. Universities are now moving to a four year system, and preference is given to those who have completed a four year degree.
Registration Requirements
The recognition of professional teaching qualifications is the responsibility of State and Territory education authorities.
Entry of Overseas Trained Teachers Into the Teaching Profession in Australia
The following information is from the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR):
If you live overseas and are a professional teacher your qualifications must meet the criteria of the government school system in at least two states or territories. You should be aware that this means your qualifications may be acceptable for migration purposes but may not be sufficient to ensure your recognition in a particular state or territory. You should ask the nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate about migration procedures and assessment of qualification requirements. Your qualifications will either be assessed by the Migration Officer or you will be asked to refer them to NOOSR. Unless you have a letter from the Migration Officer requesting a NOOSR assessment you should not approach NOOSR for an assessment. A fee of $A120 is charged for any assessment of qualifications undertaken by NOOSR for applications overseas.
If your qualification are accepted by a registration board or employing authority, this does not guarantee your employment as a teacher. This will depend on such other factors as the number of vacancies or your suitability for a particular position.
Further Details on NOOSR
NOOSR is part of the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET). NOOSR works with the Australian States and Territories and professional bodies to improve recognition procedures in Australia for the overseas qualified teachers.
The postal address for enquiries is:
NOOSR
GPO Box 1407
Canberra ACT 2601
Australia
If you are living in Australia, advice on assessment procedures and employment is available from the State and Territory Government overseas qualifications units listed below:
New South Wales or Level 2 |
Queensland |
Victoria |
Western Australia |
South Australia |
Tasmania |
Northern Territory |
Australian Capital Territory |
General Criteria
Primary and Secondary teaching awards:
Early Childhood Education (ECE) teaching awards:
or
Guideline
A) · Bachelor degree plus a masters degree or
· Bachelor degree plus extra units of graduate or undergraduate study
giving a combined total of 150 semester hours of study at an institution
where regional accreditation is comparable to four years of teacher education
in Australia provided the total study program includes the following components:
and
or
B) · A Bachelor degree awarded by an institution with regional accreditation, is comparable to at least three years of teacher education in Australia provided the program included the following components:
and
C) Qualifications from non-accredited institutions where:
and
The following is a summary of the qualifications required to teach in Australian schools. If the information you seek is not included, please contact the appropriate NOOSR office for that state or territory.
New South Wales / Queensland
/ Victoria / Australian Capital Territory
Northern Territory / Tasmania
Teaching at the Primary School level:
Primary school teachers are required to hold:
Teaching at the Secondary School level:
Secondary school teachers are required to hold:
Secondary subjects are grouped under the key learning areas of English, mathematics, science, human society and its environment, languages other than English, technological and applied studies, creative arts and personal development, health and physical education. To gain approval to teach specific subjects in secondary schools, an applicant's degree studies should contain the equivalent of at least two years study in the relevant subjects.
Opportunity Contacts:
The Manager
Staffing, Employment and EEO Tel: 011-61-2-561-1410
Personnel and Employee Relations Directorate Fax: 011-61-2-561-1331
NSW Department of School Education
PO Box 6000
Parramatta, NSW 2124
Applications for employment as a teacher in NSW government schools should be submitted to the Department's regional office nearest to the anticipated home address of the applicant.
Teacher Exchanges:
The NSW teacher Exchange Program is coordinated by the Department's South Coast Region. Further information about the program can be obtained from:
Ms. Suzanne Blunden
Manager of Teacher Exchange Tel: 011-61-42-266-085
South Coast Regional Office Fax: 011-61-42-266-087
84 Crown Street
Wollongong, NSW 2500
Other information:
Once applicants are given approval for permanent full-time teaching in
NSW governenment schools, their names are placed on an employment waiting
list. Teachers may also apply for classroom teacher positions that are advertised
in the Department's School Education News (this is available in all schools)
and, in some cases, in the local newspapers.
Teaching at the Primary / Secondary School level:
Applicants for registration must have qualifications that are assessed as being comparable to at least three years of teacher education in Australian terms. Applicants should provide evidence of their professional recognition / accreditation in their country of origin.
Opportunity contacts:
The Department has an applicant pool which is used to fill vacancies across the state. An applicant may enter this pool at any time by completing an application and submitting it to one of the Department's eleven regional offices. As registration is a prerequisite for teaching in any Queensland school, initial contact should be made with the Board of Teacher Registration. Details of employers of teachers in Queensland will be provided by the Board.
Board of Teacher Registration
PO Box 389 Tel: 011-61-73-870-7168
Toowong, QLD 4066 Fax: 011-61-73-870-5006
Teacher Exchanges:
Professional teaching duties and accomodation are exchanged for a twelve month period, usually from January to December each year to coincide with Australia's school year. Queensland exchanges currently occur with Colorado, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon and Washington. Contact your local Department of Education for more details.
Other Information:
Postitions in such areas as Instrumental Music, Languages other than English, Education of children with impairments (multiple, intellectual, physical, sight and hearing), Manual Arts, Mathmathics and Science are often available. There is a high rate of availability of temporary and casual employment in most areas across the state, particularly in the more remote northern and western regions. Australian citizenship is a requirement of permanent employment. However, casual and temporary employment is available to non-citizens.
Teaching at the Primary / Secondary level:
Principals of primary and secondary government schools in Victoria are responsible for assessing teacher qualifications against guidelines last issued on 16 March 1995. Where overseas qualifications are presented, principals are advised to contact the Employment Assessment Centre (EAC). The EAC assesses qualifications from the USA against guidelines last issued in February 1994.
Opportunity contacts:
Principals of primary and secondary government schools in Victoria are responsible for the recruitment of teachers to their school. Prospective teachers may lodge a copy of their resume and an expression of interest in being referred to suitable positions with the:
General Manager (People Services)
Directorate of School Education
Level 20, Rialto South Tower
525 Collins Street
Melbourne, VIC 2000
Teacher Exchanges:
Teacher exchanges are handled by the
Overseas Programs Unit Key contacts: Judy Vincent (tel) 011-61-3-9628-3740
External Relations Branch John Russell (tel) 011-61-3-9628-4988
Strategic Planning and School Support Division (fax) 011-61-3-9628-3989
Directorate of School Education
(address same as above)
Interested teachers should make enquiries through their own state department
of education as
Victoria only deals with state departments, not with teachers individually.
Other Information:
Prospective teachers must have a permit to work in Australia for the period of the engagement. There are more opportunities for teachers if: they are prepared to work in "hard-to-staff" locations, usually in rural Victoria; and/or are qualified to teach the following key learning areas: technology, physical education and health (especially including home economics), languages other than English (especially Asian languages), science (especially physics and chemistry), and the arts (especially music).
Teaching at the Primary / Secondary level:
All applicants must have teaching qualifications which meet Department requirements. Two categories are recognised:
Category A qualifications (normally a four year course of teacher training).
Category B qualifications (the equivalent of a three year course of teacher
training).
The Department attempts to equate overseas qualifications with those from Australia. The provision of English translations of awards and transcripts is necessary for qualifications to be properly assessed. In some cases, a reference to the Department's Qualifications Committee is required, and this may take some months to complete.
Registration:
All teachers seeking employment are required to meet local registration requirements before they can commence teaching. This involves completing an application form (with referees' names and references/practice teaching reports), providing certain documents and attending an interview. The documents required are: academic award and final academic transcript of qualifications; birth certificate / passport / evidence of Permanent Residency in Australia; statements of prior teaching service. In all cases true copies must be submitted, or original documents presented for copying and certification. True copies may be certified by school principals, Justices of the Peace, Notaries and staff in the Teaching Service Section. Provided all documentation is in order and the interview panel so recommends, registration will occur.
Teaching at the Primary / Secondary level:
Teachers will need recognized tertiary qualifications in the field of teacher
training of at least three years or a BA with a Graduate Diploma. New and
experienced teachers are eligible.
Opportunity contacts:
For a listing of opportunities contact
CP Winckler Tel: 011-61-89-220-713 Northern Part of the Northern Territory
Manager, Operations North Tel: 011-61-89-517-029 Southern Part of the Northern
Territory
Department of Education
PO Box 4821
Darwin, NT 0801
Teacher Exchanges:
Exchanges will be awarded by the Human Resources Development Branch of the
Department of Education (same address as above).
Other information:
The Department of Education in the Northern Territory will not sponsor or pay for any relocation to Australia. Teaching positions in remote communities are often available.
Teaching at the Primary / Secondary School level:
To be able to teach at primary, secondary or senior level it is necessary
to have a teaching qualification equivalent to the Bachelor of Education
(four years) or a Degree (such as a Bachelor of Arts) plus a Diploma of
Education (which combined equates to four years trained).
Opportunity contacts:
Contact the Human and Personnel Services branch of the Department of Education
at the following address:
Human and Personnel Services Branch
Department of Education & the Arts
116 Bathurst Street
Hobart, TAS 7001
This agency runs an annual Temporary Register from which teachers are recruited when a vacancy occurs. Employment can only be offered to those on the Register.
Teacher Exchanges:
Contact
John Kitt
Educational Planning Branch Tel: 011-61-02-33-7949
Human and Personnel Services Fax: 011-61-02-34-7882
116 Bathurst Street
Hobart, TAS 7001
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