Teaching In The Uk

[apdare]

This may be a little off topic, but any information will be appreciated.

My Thai girlfriend currently works as a teacher at junior school level, teaching Thai Language; as well as lecturing at Burapha University, where she is an assistant professor.

She has a bachelors degree and masters degree in education from a Thai university.

With these qualifications and work experience, would she be able to get a teaching job in the UK as she plans. Or is this just being to optimistic, given from what I have read on the board, that a Thai degree is not to the same educational level as one from the UK.

All answer or feed back would be greatly appreciated.

Andrew

[kenkannif]

I think she'd stuggle to do it legally. Depending on the Visa she has I 'think' you have to be there for a year or so (even if married to you?) before she can work legally....but I might be wrong.

Certainly possible in the long run though I'd have thought, as we do seem to need teachers in the UK.

[apdare]

Thanks for the reply, we will be getting married and as I understand it once we are she will be able to work legally.

I am just not sure if her qualifications will be recognised in the UK and if teachers whose first lanuage is not English (outside the EU) will be accepted.

Lets hope she can, other wise she will soon be bored out of her mind.

Andrew

[kenkannif]

I honestly don't think she can work right away married or not. You may want to check this in the foreign Visa section of this site though.

I don't think they'll be any problem having the degree recognised, it's whether they're acceptable at not. At worst I'd guess she'd have to do some kind of course there, but then a lot of PGCEs can be done in 9 months or so from what I can gather.

All the best though.

[apdare]

I will take your advice and check this out, although from my information if we get married in the UK, she will be able to work. Any time limit would not be a problem if she needs to do a course first though.

Please forgive my ignorance, what does PGCE stand for.

Thanks again.

Andrew

[kenkannif]

Post-Graduate Certificate in Education.

I kind of hope I am wrong...let me know please!

All the best.

[Jack Jones]

If you are married then she will be able to work legally, just not claim benefits from the UK Gov.

If she wants to teach in the UK then she will have to complete a PGCE. She could always become a classroom assistant and complete the course at the same time, thus not losing time or money.

[apdare]

Thanks again to both of you.

Not married as of yet, but that's the plan.

Now I just need to do my research on PGCE's

Andrew

[paully]

She won't be able to work (or get benefits) immediately on entry to the UK even if she is granted a settlement visa. She'll have to obtain a National Insurance (NI) number first: apparently, there's a delay of several weeks for this.

As Jack Jones has said, she'll normally need a PGCE to teach in the UK (unless she can convince the authorities that her masters' degree will count as the equivalent of a PGCE and then do 1 year's observed teaching practice to be fully qualified; or get an academic position at a university - with the greatest respect to her, no mean feat if she can't pursue any connections that Burapha University may have with a UK university) and she'll also have to have been resident in the UK for 3 years before the PGCE course starts in order not to be charged an international student's tuition fees and in order to receive the 6,000 pound bursary which is currently offered. It's not as easy as it sounds, I'm afraid.

Edited June 1, 2005 by paully

[apdare]

Thanks paully, all information and/or suggestions are gratefully received.

I think the PGCE is the way to go at this moment and she has enough savings to pay for this (but somehow I think I will end up footing thie bill ). Our (her?) initial idea was to do a PHD, but this will cost a bit to much for me at this moment.

She is visiting in October and I am hopefull, that I can arrange for her to do some classroom observation in a couple of schools near me, she has already done this in Sweden and China this year.

You are right though, nothing is as easy as it sounds, but if it is difficult, then the end result should be worthwhile.

Thanks again for your input.

Andrew

[paully]

The main problem is the residence rule for fees/grant, etc, if she's classed as an international student, the fees are huge. If she's thinking of a PhD in the UK, she may be able to get a scholarship: quite a few Thai academics manage to get these from here and there to fund themselves. But, again, she may have to say for the purpose of the application that she wants to return to Thailand to put her studies/research into action. Good luck, anyway.

[Welshman]

With regard to the qualifications part of your query, I've forwarded this on to the department here at my college (in the UK) which deals with teacher training and qualifications.

I'll let you know their response when it comes back to me.

[kenkannif]

^ What a nice man!

[Welshman]

I've had a word with one of our departments here and they say that the subscribe to an organisation called UKNARIC. This is a website where foreign qualifications can be checked for equivalence here in UK.

They say that they'll get back to me but, in the meantime, they said that some schools in UK are so desperate for staff that they might well consider her as she stands.

However, from my earlier posts in the teaching in thailand part of the forum, you'll have gathered that I wouldn't wish school teaching on my worst enemy.

She would be better looking at FE work, but one thing you didn't mention was what subject she could teach (not much call for Thai language courses here I'm afraid).

Certainly, if she was teaching at an FE (for which a teaching qualification is not a pre-requirement) then the PGCE wouldn't be a problem as every college in the country has a staff development programme for teacher training. That means that if she was working for them as a lecturer, the college would pay for the course and she would get relief hours for attendance.

The PGCE would take two years to complete but then again, if she's actually working, earning money and the course is taken care of by the college, then no problem.

I'll get back to you on the other thing when I get a response from the department

[apdare]

Thanks for all the input Welshman, I will follow up on the UNARIC lead.

I have to agree with you on the teaching angle, it is a job that I could not do (she has offered me a job at her school and I have been having nightmares about it ever since), but there is a strange group of people out there who seem to love it and she is one.

As to what she could teach, that again is a very good question, as I mentioned before she teaches Thai lanuage in primary school at the moment and curriculum at the university. From coversations that we have had i understand she has had experience in teaching a whole range of subjects from, meditation (at the UK buddhist monastary) through dance and even Thai boxing ,as well as the full range of subjects at the primary level.

We were only considering primary school level posts, but the options that you have raised are certainly worth considering . Unfortunately my understanding of the ins and outs of the education profession is zero (leave me to my bean counting and I am happy). All the suggestions and ideas that are being raised give me hope that she will be able to find a possiton here in some capacity, in the job that she loves .

Many thanks again for all your input.

Andrew

[Jack Jones]

You might want to check out www.teach.gov.uk. This gives a lot of information for prospective teachers in the uk.

[Welshman]

Thanks for all the input Welshman, I will follow up on the UNARIC lead.

I have to agree with you on the teaching angle, it is a job that I could not do (she has offered me a job at her school and I have been having nightmares about it ever since), but there is a strange group of people out there who seem to love it and she is one.

As to what she could teach, that again is a very good question, as I mentioned before she teaches Thai lanuage in primary school at the moment and curriculum at the university. From coversations that we have had i understand she has had experience in teaching a whole range of subjects from, meditation (at the UK buddhist monastary) through dance and even Thai boxing ,as well as the full range of subjects at the primary level.

We were only considering primary school level posts, but the options that you have raised are certainly worth considering . Unfortunately my understanding of the ins and outs of the education profession is zero (leave me to my bean counting and I am happy). All the suggestions and ideas that are being raised give me hope that she will be able to find a possiton here in some capacity, in the job that she loves .

Many thanks again for all your input.

Andrew

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, our department here has just sent me the results via the internal post.

These are for Thai qualifications

Bachelor Degree

Is considered comparable to British Bachelor (Ordinary) degree. Students with high grades may be considered for admission for postgraduate study.

Master's Degree (Plan A, Research Based)

Is considered comparable to British Bachelor (Honours) degree standard

Master's Degree (Plan B, Limited Research)

Is considered Comparable to British Bachelor degree standard.

Hope these help you (or anyone else). Incidentally, you cannot use the UK NARIC website unless you are a subscriber.

Edited June 2, 2005 by Welshman

[apdare]

Thanks Jack Jones, I will have a look at this site when i have finished work.

Thanks again Welshman, interesting information, the impression they I was getting from the board is that a Thai degree would in no way compared to one obtained in the UK. My superiority complex has now been severely deflated.

As to the UK NARIC web site, you can not use the site itself, but for a fee you can send copies of certificates which they will look at and provide a UK equivelant grade.

All info again gratefully received.

Andrew