Questions About Qualifications

[aussiestyle1983]

The trap that I see a lot of people fall into is that they have come here and by hook or by crook managed to get a teaching job. They've settled down (a little) and some are married with a kid or two. They are now a little too old to return to their home country and persue a career or complete their education and they are no longer legally able to work in Thailand. It's not an enviable position.

A trap is indeed what it is. I initially came as a tourist like so many and then started teaching with a plan of only staying six months to a year. This plan ended up lasting eight years; seven years too long. I came to a point where there was no viable future without the degree. I had enough sense to look at my situation, stop, think and get out and get a degree. It's fine to do it for six months or a year as a gap year or travel experience, but don't let it go on too long.

Fortunately these days there are more strict visa regulations which discourage young unqualified people from doing what many of us did in the past. It really has nothing to do with capability. Many unqualified teachers are naturals and quite good at teaching, but it is a career path to nowhere as you have said above.

I am / was in a similar position to mbkudu. I taught there for two yeras full time, during a 2 year leave period from my work in Australia to travel, and since my wife was Thai, I decided teaching there for good might not be such a bad option. I was legal back then, without a degree. But, like mbkudu, I saw no future of certanty there without a degree. I am only 25, so being young, I decided I would go back to Australia and earn a degree whilst trying to save money. I have just finished 1 year of my degree (luckily BA's in Australia are only 3 years if you don't want to do the over-rated honours year), and whilst I not I might never use it or return to Thailand to teach, if I do, it will open up many more doors for me. I will be able to get legal with no problems, and could most likely have a better job. The degree also comes in handy no matter what you do because I guess it also means that you are supposed to be educated, which is what employers like to see. So, seriously think about it, but if you get hooked, it will be harder to leave and get qualified. You don't want to be is a sticky situation like other posters have mentioned, especially if you kinock up an exotic Thai lady and have a sprog or two while having to worry about the stability of your income and future. Good luck.

[lildragon]

The trap that I see a lot of people fall into is that they have come here and by hook or by crook managed to get a teaching job. They've settled down (a little) and some are married with a kid or two. They are now a little too old to return to their home country and persue a career or complete their education and they are no longer legally able to work in Thailand. It's not an enviable position.

A trap is indeed what it is. I initially came as a tourist like so many and then started teaching with a plan of only staying six months to a year. This plan ended up lasting eight years; seven years too long. I came to a point where there was no viable future without the degree. I had enough sense to look at my situation, stop, think and get out and get a degree. It's fine to do it for six months or a year as a gap year or travel experience, but don't let it go on too long.

Fortunately these days there are more strict visa regulations which discourage young unqualified people from doing what many of us did in the past. It really has nothing to do with capability. Many unqualified teachers are naturals and quite good at teaching, but it is a career path to nowhere as you have said above.

I am / was in a similar position to mbkudu. I taught there for two yeras full time, during a 2 year leave period from my work in Australia to travel, and since my wife was Thai, I decided teaching there for good might not be such a bad option. I was legal back then, without a degree. But, like mbkudu, I saw no future of certanty there without a degree. I am only 25, so being young, I decided I would go back to Australia and earn a degree whilst trying to save money. I have just finished 1 year of my degree (luckily BA's in Australia are only 3 years if you don't want to do the over-rated honours year), and whilst I not I might never use it or return to Thailand to teach, if I do, it will open up many more doors for me. I will be able to get legal with no problems, and could most likely have a better job. The degree also comes in handy no matter what you do because I guess it also means that you are supposed to be educated, which is what employers like to see. So, seriously think about it, but if you get hooked, it will be harder to leave and get qualified. You don't want to be is a sticky situation like other posters have mentioned, especially if you kinock up an exotic Thai lady and have a sprog or two while having to worry about the stability of your income and future. Good luck.

Well the plan is at the moment is just to getaway and get some life experience in as Loaded mentioned. If I really enjoy it and see it as a future career that I want to stay in I will seriously consider doing a degree. I just know that at the moment I do not have the patience for it! heh. A CELTA or TEFL will allow me a way to support myself through my travels

If it comes to that is it a case that I HAVE to come home to earn my degree or is it something I could take up in Asia? (maybe somewhere a bit more devolped than Thaiand like Japan)

Great advice guys thank you.

[mbkudu]

Well the plan is at the moment is just to getaway and get some life experience in as Loaded mentioned. If I really enjoy it and see it as a future career that I want to stay in I will seriously consider doing a degree. I just know that at the moment I do not have the patience for it! heh. A CELTA or TEFL will allow me a way to support myself through my travels

If it comes to that is it a case that I HAVE to come home to earn my degree or is it something I could take up in Asia? (maybe somewhere a bit more devolped than Thaiand like Japan)

Great advice guys thank you.

I'd say that's fair enough and you should try it. You may consider Indonesia where a degree is not necessary; a beautiful country with very nice people.

Getting a degree is of course an option in Asia and there are several decent universities in Thailand that are very affordable. I have experience with this endeavor, but I won't go into it here because there are quite a few people on this forum who have little if any positive input on that subject, and I've really had my fill of reading the negativity.

Edited October 27, 2008 by mbkudu

[lildragon]

Well the plan is at the moment is just to getaway and get some life experience in as Loaded mentioned. If I really enjoy it and see it as a future career that I want to stay in I will seriously consider doing a degree. I just know that at the moment I do not have the patience for it! heh. A CELTA or TEFL will allow me a way to support myself through my travels

If it comes to that is it a case that I HAVE to come home to earn my degree or is it something I could take up in Asia? (maybe somewhere a bit more devolped than Thaiand like Japan)

Great advice guys thank you.

I'd say that's fair enough and you should try it. You may consider Indonesia where a degree is not necessary; a beautiful country with very nice people.

Getting a degree is of course an option in Asia and there are several decent universities in Thailand that are very affordable. I have experience with this endeavor, but I won't go into it here because there are quite a few people on this forum who have little if any positive input on that subject, and I've really had my fill of reading the negativity.

mbkudu I was awash with negative comments for simply asking about teaching in the first place so please share with me, send me a private message if you wish I'm willing to listen

[mbkudu]

If you take a look at the thread just below 'Continuing Study in Thailand', there is a lot of information on the various institutes here.

[Eastender]

Hi,

I'm presently studying with the O.U. (Open University - well known in the UK, for those who can only study part time from home due to work or other circumstances) to gain a degree in mixed subjects, called an Open Degree, and a diploma in English Language Studies. A diploma = approx. 40% of degree study time. I wonder if any one can tell me if the diploma will be recognised in Thailand? Is it likely to give me access to any more positions/schools than without?

Thanks,

Robin.

[PeaceBlondie]

Hi,

I'm presently studying with the O.U. (Open University - well known in the UK, for those who can only study part time from home due to work or other circumstances) to gain a degree in mixed subjects, called an Open Degree, and a diploma in English Language Studies. A diploma = approx. 40% of degree study time. I wonder if any one can tell me if the diploma will be recognised in Thailand? Is it likely to give me access to any more positions/schools than without?

Thanks,

Robin.

Robin, ya never know. Usually Thai academics look for the words Bachelor or Master, as in a real degree. Not even Associate degree, granted by US junior colleges. Thus, a diploma may not count for much, and Scott can tell us what his local Ministry of Education office thinks of that.

[Eastender]

Just to clarify - I will graduate with a Bachelors Degree , though in mixed subjects, i.e. no single discipline but still a real degree + the Diploma in English Language Studies. I'm wondering if this Diploma will give me access to teaching jobs further than just the degree, given that it's in a subject very close to teaching/learning English.

Edited November 2, 2008 by Eastender

[aussiestyle1983]

So you are saying you won't have a major? Will the subjects that count towards your English Diploma also be counted as units that make up your degree since they were studdied at uni level?

At the end of the day, you will have a real degree, that's all that matters. If the English classes are listed on the transcript, you can at least show them to a potential employer to prove you have studdied some English classes; even though you won't have a major, your degree will be more relevant to English teaching that someone with a major in shoe making or lap dancing who does not have any English of Education electives.

[Eastender]

Hi,

Yes, your understanding is correct - no major, a mixture of English related subjects, astronomy, statistics and something else yet to be decided! The English subjects make up 120 of the 300 points and also make up the qualification of Diploma in English Language Studies. So I receieve two certificates (diploma and degree) for no extra study!

Thanks for your comments above. I guess that's the bottom line, a potential employer can see the degree transcript and so know that it's English related.

[aussiestyle1983]

Would your degree be considered a 3 or 4 year full time degree? If you have study the same area for 120 out of 150 points, that almost sounds like it would be enough to be considered a major.............. Have you looked into how much extra you would need to study to have an English major? A degree with an English major would given you a huge advantage over a degree with no major. You could say you have an english major because I feel you would have enough credit to justify it on your transcript. I would look into that.

The open uni system here at one uni works like this.

To get a certificate, you need 8 units / classes in one major area.

A diploma in 16 units, 8 units in one major area plus 8 electives.

A degree is 24 units, 8 units in one major area plus 16 electives, or you could do 3 majors if you like.

If you get a dimplma, and you go on and study another 8 units making your total 24, you will then have a degree with the same major as listed on the diploma. They do this because employers here don't care as much asbout having a full 'degree', they just want to see that you have studdied the relevant courses. So, some people only do 8 units, get a certificate which gives them a uni level major, and then stop.

Anyway, a degree with an English major would be perfect for English teaching wherever you go, I's seriously see what you need to do to get one. To me, having a diploma with an English major should give you enough credit to use the same major on your degree.

[Eastender]

Hi Aussie,

I guess my degree would be equivalent to 3 years full time. The English subjects are 120 points out of 300 total, not 150 total. And to gain an 'English Degree' with the Open University means also taking English Literature, which I would find very heavy going, and also taking extra humanities subjects at level 1. For now I can use points awarded from previous study (electronics) to cover level 1 for the mixed degree. So I agree with what your saying, but I'm in my 40s now, working full time with a wife and baby so just trying to find a relatively easy option.

I wonder though, I'm sure an 'English Degree' would open up more jobs, but would those jobs pay better, or is it only the International Schools which require proper teaching qualifications that pay better?

Thanks,

Robin.

[themikeymeister]

Hi people

I inted to complete a primary PGCE here in the UK, and then come to Thailand and teach - preferably in Bkk.

My wife is Thai, and and would return tomorrow given the chance.

Ideally I would get experience in the UK first, but Iam just trying to gauge how easy it would be to find a teaching postion with my PGCE.

Can anyone advise on the salary I could expect, or any package?

I'm 31, and looking to retrain, and then relocate to LOS.

Would I be able to move up the payscales once I had say three years experience, or would my experience from teaching in the Uk only be looked at?

If anyone has any direct experience of this, or any other advice that would be great

Cheers

[misterman21]

The salary would be p*ss poor. The unruly rabble will drive you insane.

****Note:Anti-Thai remark removed by moderator PB

[PeaceBlondie]

Welcome to the teaching forum.

From what little I understand about PGCE, you would not be considered fully qualified as a professional educator, until you had had a year or so of professionally supervised practice, after earning the PGCE. At least that is the case in a truly 'international school,' but not at the fake, pretend schools which just have multi-syllabic names.

However, short of the international school circuit, you would have good academic credentials, even if inexperienced. Good luck.

Any Bangkok teachers care to give the OP an estimate of salary range?

[Ijustwannateach]

When I earned my PGCE, my salary remained exactly as it was before.

As I have frequently mentioned, qualifications rarely affect salary; they only affect your chances of getting a particular job at a particular starting salary. With that kind of qualification and little experience, you'd be more likely to get into the 50-60K/month level jobs. You'd need a bit more experience to have a good chance at the real international school jobs, but the pay is good if you get them.

[garro]

Having a PGCE has not made much of a difference to me, but I suspect it will in the future. Unfortunately a lot of the Thai school administration have no idea what it is and even the Teacher's council make no mention of it, but instead focus on a Post Graduate Diploma. As PB said though the best thing would do is to make sure you get some experience in your home country first and ideally get recruited from there. Then you could possibly achieve anything up to 100,000 a month with a good school.

[Loaded]

Government Schools

Only Thai nationals are allowed to work for Thai Government institutions. There are no universal employment requirements for foreigners. Schools get around this by writing private employment agreements (อัตราจ้างพิเศษ) between the teacher and the school. The employment requirements are whatever the school wants them to be.

Private Schools

A Director's Letter stating that the teacher's other qualifications (TEFL etc) and experience compensate for the lack of a degree, will obtain a work permit for teachers without degrees.

2-year renewable Teacher licences for both of the above types of schools can be obtained easily without the teacher needing to take the Teacher Knowledge Test.

Language Schools

These are category 15/2 schools and are exempt for Teacher Licencing requirements. However, whether you have a degree, or not, it's unlikely the school will provide a work permit anyway.

Plus

The evidence of many posters on this forum confirms the above. There are numerous posts from teachers without degrees working legally.

Let's put this degree/no degree to bed. You don't need a degree to work legally in Thailand

[SEETEFL]

Hi OP,

Some International School contact information:

* Accredited by the Ministry of Education and International Organisations

** Accredited by the Ministry of Education Only

BANGKOK

Advent International School of Bangkok - www.aisb.ac.th **

Anglo Singaporean International School - www.anglosingapore.ac.th **

Bangkok Adventist International School - Tel 0 2381 9406 *

Bangkok Grace International Primary School - wwwgrace.ac.th **

Bangkok International Academic School - www.bianinternational.com *

Bangkok International Prep School - www.bkkprep.ac.th **

Bangkok Patana School - www.patana.ac.th *

Bromsgrove International Primary School - www.bromsgrove.ac.th **

Charter International School - www.charter.ac.th **

Ekamai international School - www.eis.ac.th *

Everclever International Kindergarten - www/wells-school.com **

Garden international School - www.gisthailand.net **

Harrow International School - www.harrowschool.ac.th **

International Community School - www.icsbangkok.com *

International Pioneers School - www.pks.th.edukevalee **

IPC International Kindergarten - www.ipcthai.com **

Kavalee International Day School - Tel 0 2916 7594 **

KiddyKare International kindergarten - www.kiddykare.ac.th **

Kids Academy International Pre-School - www.kidsacademy.ac.th **

Kincaid International School of Bangkok - www.kincaidbangkok.com **

KIS International School - www.kis.ac.th *

Koboto International Kindergarten - Tel 0 2391 1720 **

Korean International School of Bangkok - www.kisbangkok.com **

Lady Bird International Kindergarten - www.ladybird.ac.th **

Learning Home International Kindergarten - www.trinitycorp.com **

Lord Shaftesbury International School - www.lordshaftsbury.ac.th **

Lycee Francais international de Bangkok - www.lfib.ac.th *

Melodies international kindergarten - www.melodieskinder.com **

Modern International School - www.misb.ac.th **

Montessori International Kindergarten - www.imc.ac.th **

MulberryHouse international Pre-School - www.mulberryhousepreschool.com **

New Bambino International Kindergarten - Tel 0 2381 1866 **

New International School of Thailand - www.nist.ac.th *

Niva International School - www.niva.is.ac.th **

Pan-Asia International School - www.p-asia.com **

Park place Internation Pre-School - Tel 0 2728 2003 **

Prep International kindergarten - www.prep.ac.th **

Ramkhamhaeng Advent International School - www.rais.ac.th **

Rasamai International School - www.rasami.ac.th **

RC international School - www.rcis.ac.th **

Redeemer International School Thailand - www.rist.ac.th *

Ruamrudee International School - www.rism.ac.th *

Sabaijai International kindergartden - www.sabaijai.com **

Seeh Pheenong International Kindergarten - www.spn.ac.th **

Shrewsbury International School - www.shrewsbury.ac.th **

Singapore International School of Bangkok - www.sisb.ac.th **

St John's International School - www.international.stjohn.ac.th *

St. Andrews International School - www.st-andrews.ac.th **

St. Mark International Kindergarten - www.stmark.th.edu **

St. Michael's International kindergarten - www.smiinter.com **

St. Stephen's International School - www.sis.edu *

Talents International Pre-School - www.talents-preschool.com **

Thai-Japanese Association School - www.pjas.ac.th *

The American School of Bangkok, Sukhumvit - www.asb.th.edu *

The Early learning Centre International Kindergarten - www.elc-bangkok.com **

The First Steps International Pre-School - www.thefirststeps.ac.th **

The Regents International School, Bangkok - www.regents.ac.th **

Topsy Turvy international School - www.bsbangkok.ac.th **

Trail International School - www.trail.ac.th **

Trinity International School - www.trinity.ac.th **

Wells International School - www.wells-school.com **

OUTSIDE BANGKOK

International School Bangkok (Nonthaburi) - www.isb.ac.th *

Concordian International School (Samut Prakarn) - Tel 0 2336 1155 **

St. Andrew's International Kindergarten (Samut Prakarn) - Tel 0 2774 4769 **

Thai-Chinese International School (Samut Prakarn) - www.tcis.ac.th *

Thai-Sikh International School (Samut Prakarn) - www.thaisikh.com **

The American School of Bangkok (Samut Prakarn) - www.asb.th.edu *

International School Eastern Seaboard (Chonburi) - www.nok.co.jp *

International School of Pattaya (Chonburi) - wwwisppattaya.com **

The Regent's School (Chonburi) - www.regents.ac.th *

St. Stephen's international School (Nakhon Ratchasima) - www.sis.edu *

Meta International School (Nakhon Pathom) - www.metaschool.ac.th **

American Pacific International Kindergarten (Chiang Mai) - Tel 053 365 303 **

American Pacific International School (Chiang Mai) - www.apis.ac.th

Chiangmai International School (Chiang Mai) - www.cis.ac.th *

Christian german ChiangMai School (Chiang Mai) - www.office.cdxgm.orm *

Grace International School (Chiang Mai) - www.gisthailand.org *

Lanna International School (Chiang Mai) - www.lannaist.ac.th *

Nakornpayap International School (Chiang mai) - Tel 053 304 5735 *

British Curriculum International School (Phuket) - www.bcis.ac.th *

Phuket international School (Phuket) - www.osi.org **

Garden International School (Rayong) - www.gisthailand.net **

St. Andrew's Internationals School (Rayong) - www.sp-andrew.sc.th **

Adventist International Mission School (Saraburi) - Tel 036 344 875 **

Prep International School (Pathumthani) - www.prep.ac.th **

Siam International School (Pathumthani) - www.siamschool.ac.th **

Newattaphume International School (Lampang) - Tel 054 324 596 **

John@SEE

[themikeymeister]

Thanks for the replies people - much appreciated.

Looks like the best way to secure the best salary would be to stay in the UK for a couple of years and get some experience. Really dont know if the missus could wait that long, and from what I can gather quite difficult to find a teaching postion outside of London - massive oversupply of qualified teachers, and the govt is still encouraging people onto the PGCE course. This is what I have gathered from the TES forum, which has a sub forum specifically for unemployed teachers, which is worrying.

End of the day though, just have to see how the land lies when I get qualified and take it from there.

Thanks for that massive list SEETEFL - one to be cut n pasted that's for sure!!

Thanks again!!

Edited December 6, 2008 by themikeymeister

[JamieF]

Hi people

I inted to complete a primary PGCE here in the UK, and then come to Thailand and teach - preferably in Bkk.

My wife is Thai, and and would return tomorrow given the chance.

Ideally I would get experience in the UK first, but Iam just trying to gauge how easy it would be to find a teaching postion with my PGCE.

Can anyone advise on the salary I could expect, or any package?

I'm 31, and looking to retrain, and then relocate to LOS.

Would I be able to move up the payscales once I had say three years experience, or would my experience from teaching in the Uk only be looked at?

If anyone has any direct experience of this, or any other advice that would be great

Cheers

What great timing! I am a qualified PGCE teacher with a few years experience and looking to teach in Thailand - and have similar questions to the OP.

My question is however not limited to salary - more globally I would like to get an idea of the overall benefits package. Do international schools give and if so, what level of benefit for health insurance / housing benefits / other benefits? I see on some recruitment pages school include flights too? How about education at the school for my son - should I expect to pay for this?

Any advice from teachers currently working and teaching in Thailand would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

James

[paulfr]

What are your qualifications for teaching Math ?

Degree subjects, Field of Work, Special interest or experience ?

My school requires a degree in Math or a related field.

Salaries will be in the 35-70KBaht range depending on the school

and program. The high salaries above 100K to 200K are only available

at International Schools and they usually require degrees in Education.

They recruit in the West and if you land a job that way, your salary and

benefits will be almost 2x what you can find being hired here.

Some teachers I know pick up an extra 20K/month by tutoring after school

and on weekends. This is usually available only thru word of mouth though.

Be warned that teaching in LOS is not easy as most Thai Admins treat all teachers

like they treat Thai employees ..... like interchangeable dirt. This is not an easy

pill to swallow if you are not ready for it.

Edited December 10, 2008 by paulfr

[Hannahcopacabana]

Something to think about: After your PGCE, you need to do the NQT year (assessed and supervised teaching, as PB said) before you can call yourself 'qualified'. At the moment, once you have achieved QTS at the end of your PGCE, that QTS is yours to keep forever, regardless of whether or not you complete the NQT year. However, not long ago, you could only retain QTS for a limited period without having done an NQT and after that it expired. I completed my NQT year this year, directly after PGCE because I figured if they can change the rules one way, they can change them back again and then I'd be stuffed.

I am working in a language centre at the moment (busman's holiday! ) so I don't know a great deal about rates etc but a friend of mine came out here straight after doing a PGCE in Secondary Modern Foreign Languages and got a job teaching primary for 60,000. That was three years ago.

There's so many jobs advertised in the classifieds at the moment - all looking for primary, kindy etc teachers so I would guess (correct me if I'm wrong, anyone), that there's a great demand for teachers and your lack of experience wouldn't be a problem. However, the upper echelon schools tend to be more selective and, in their literature, they trade on the fact that their teachers are trained and experienced in the UK. I guess it depends what you're aiming for.

Have you had a look on the teaching overseas forum on TES.com? Some pretty useful stuff on there and some Thailand based teachers.

[themikeymeister]

Thanks for your reply Hannah. Good to hear there are plenty of jobs in Thailand. My concern after getting the PGCE is not being able to find a teaching position locally to me in the UK. I have read the TES forum, and there seems to be plenty of teachers struggling to find work, and indeed there is a forum for unemployed teachers which is worrying.

From the ajarn forum, someone has posted this regarding QTS status

"1. When you successfully complete a PGCE you have met all the relevant standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with the exception of 3 short computer tests in English, Maths and ICT. Passing those tests (which you normally do during the PGCE year) will then give you QTS and you receive a snappy certificate to prove it. In short, you are a qualified teacher shortly after your PGCE ends and before your first teaching job begins.

2. If you wish to stay in the UK, or return to the UK, and teach in a state school, you'll need to complete an induction year and show a file of further evidence and bumf to pass more standards. You have five years to complete the induction year once you have started it. If you do not wish to work in the UK or not work in a state school (ie you will teach in the independent sector) you do not have to complete an induction year.

In other words, if you plan to work in the UK later on after a period in an international school abroad and work in a state school, you'll need to have passed the induction year in order to avoid being paid at the bottom of the pay scale. As you plan to do one year before heading abroad, it makes sense in your case to complete your induction if you can."

and

"Q: Is there a time limit by which I need to start the induction period after achieving QTS?

A: No. There can also be gaps between the three terms that make up your induction period once started, but the induction programme should normally be completed within five years."

and

"You don't have to do an induction year - only at UK state schools - and you don't have 'to do it within 5 years'. What you do have to do is complete an induction year within 5 years of starting it. This gives extra time for those such as supply teachers who don't have full-time jobs to complete the induction process. You won't have to repeat your teacher training otherwise."

also this from the TES forum

"You CAN get jobs in International schools abroad straight after your PGCE and you will have QTS status at that point - it's just if/when you want to work in the UK, your first year teaching will be your NQT year.

Whether it's advisable depends very much upon your previous experience, your personality and your skills. I went abroad straight after my PGCE and I think for me it was probably the right decision...but I think I might well be a better teacher if I'd done the NQT year. Or not - I had a lot of Professional Development opportunities last year (I've been working abroad for a few years now) and I know that my teaching now is much better than it was initially. But...if you can stick it out, I'd say try to do the NQT year if you can, because then it's under your belt rather than hanging over your head AND it's going to feed into your teaching career and help to make you a better professional.

But, no. You don't HAVE to do it, and you can "escape" straight after the PGCE if you want. "

This point has really confused me, and have thus spent days researching it.

Common sense is telling me that I should get experience in the UK, but from what I can gather the teaching profession is massively oversubsrcribed in the UK, and to get a position I would have to relocate. Whilst I intend to relocate to the other side of the world you might wonder why this would be such a problem. You would be right, but my wife has made lots of thai friends locally, and it has been hard for her to adapt to life in the UK. To uproot her again would be one step too far for her I think. For both our sakes, I would therefore like to get out to Thailand and get a position as soon as possible.

I guess I would have to land myself the best possible position from the UK, which is easier said than done. With a bit of luck I could well land on my feet, on the other hand.......

Only one way to find out..........

Fingers crossed.

Thanks for your time - much appreciated

Edited December 10, 2008 by themikeymeister

[Hannahcopacabana]

This point has really confused me, and have thus spent days researching it.

I'll second that! I was trying to find the answer to this same question a year ago and everyone seemed to 'know' differently. Things seem to change so quickly, I guess for a straightforward, reliable answer you can't beat your PGCE course leader.

Sorry - Yes, you're right - the NQT is only compulsory if you want to teach state and doesn't apply to private insts. Having said that, I found the year to be immensely useful. The difference in myself and in my teaching between ending PGCE and ending NQT was huge. But, like someone else said, it depends on the individual.

I relocated (reluctantly) for my NQT. I was working too much for the shift in (or in my case disappearance of) social life to bother me but it made my other half miserable and put a real strain on our relationship. Having said that, Sept-July: not even a year... and it'll fly by for you.

Whatever you decide to do, I wish you all the best of luck. Try not to be bothered too much by the forums - there will always be people who struggle to find posts, for whatever reason, but that doesn't mean to say that you will too. And think about it - how many people go and post on a forum to tell everyone that they've been successful in finding a good post and they're feeling really happy, relaxed and in control of their own destiny?!

[Cerriowen]

I've been looking around, but I'm really confused about the exact qualifications.

I have a B.S. in Security from an american university.

I have been teaching ESL for (almost) 3 years in Korea, and I have two letters of referance from employers.

I'm going to get a TEFL in the next couple of months just so I have it.

I heard some type of thing about a teaching professional certificate? How long does it take to get it? Can I do it before I go to thailand?

I heard something about a cultural awareness course. Is this also possible to complete before coming?

Is there something else I need to do or get?

[PeaceBlondie]

Hi, and welcome. There are two certificates or licensings thingjiggies from the TCT, a new and very poorly run Thai national agency. Check our teaching forum for culture test and professional exams, which are only available sporadically at unstated locations somewhere inside the realm of unmistakable Thailand. Bring your original diploma showing your BS, and transcripts, sealed and embossed, if you can get them.

About the only other things you need are incredible amounts of patience and tolerance for general incompetence.

[Cerriowen]

Hi, and welcome. There are two certificates or licensings thingjiggies from the TCT, a new and very poorly run Thai national agency. Check our teaching forum for culture test and professional exams, which are only available sporadically at unstated locations somewhere inside the realm of unmistakable Thailand. Bring your original diploma showing your BS, and transcripts, sealed and embossed, if you can get them.

About the only other things you need are incredible amounts of patience and tolerance for general incompetence.

thanks for the welcome

I have an orignal diploma, and sealed/embossed transcripts with me.

Do you have to have those two licensing things before beginning to teach? How long do you think it would take from the time I get off the plane until I could begin work? Are we talking days, or weeks, or months?

Thanks for your help!

Edited December 13, 2008 by Cerriowen

[Chingatchgook]

Is the PGCE mainly a British thing or do the Australians have it too?

[PeaceBlondie]

Plan on a month or 6 weeks on the ground before starting work, and several weeks more before the first paycheck. The school year starts in mid-May.