Wife would like to get into Teaching - Tips?

[Praz]

We have recently moved to Thailand, as I have a few years assignment with my organisation's Thailand office.

We are currently living in Pattaya.

My wife is a qualified doctor ( 5 years bachelor course from India in Homeopathy) and had done PG in Clinical Research. She was working with Pharmaceutical Drug Safety field back home.

But now that we have moved over here, she is a homemaker currently (her earlier job profile being a specialised field, we could not find something relevant in Pattaya area).

She is considering taking up teaching as a serious profession. She plans to continue into teaching profession, when we move back to India and this way she can also help my son in academics later.

Well to come to the point: being a medical doctor, she is very comfortable in Biology and thats what she plans to teach at school level (secondary and higher levels).

1. Is there an additional qualification that she should do (like teaching course etc) to qualify as a teacher in Thailand?

2. How easy is it for her to get into one of the english instruction or International school as a Biology teacher (since most of the job postings and forum discussions are mainly around 'English' teaching).

3. Would the school apply for a work permit for her (she is currently on dependant visa) and is work permit legally required if she intends to do only a part-time assignment?

Your feedback will help us.

Thanks!

[lostinisaan]

What's your wife's nationality?

[Praz]

Indian

[lostinisaan]

Indian

1. Is there an additional qualification that she should do (like teaching course etc) to qualify as a teacher in Thailand?

Considering that she's got a degree, she might find a job without doing a TEFL, or TESOL. But it would look better.

Laws and regulations are constantly changing and having an Army guy on the top of the MoE doesn't make it easier. No more to add.

2. How easy is it for her to get into one of the english instruction or International school as a Biology teacher (since most of the job postings and forum discussions are mainly around 'English' teaching).

Honestly speaking, Thais are usually pretty much racist and see Indian people a sort of "less liked". I don't think that it's easy to land a good paid position in your area, you might consider to be more flexible. But I think that she's not allowed to teach on a dependent visa, a Non-B is usually required.

3. Would the school apply for a work permit for her (she is currently on dependant visa) and is work permit legally required if she intends to do only a part-time assignment?

Even for a part time job, she'll have to have a work permit.

Why don't you try a little bit harder to find a suitable position in her field of study? Best of luck.

Edited October 27, 2015 by lostinisaan

[asdecas]

Indian

1. Is there an additional qualification that she should do (like teaching course etc) to qualify as a teacher in Thailand?

Considering that she's got a degree, she might find a job without doing a TEFL, or TESOL. But it would look better.

Laws and regulations are constantly changing and having an Army guy on the top of the MoE doesn't make it easier. No more to add.

2. How easy is it for her to get into one of the english instruction or International school as a Biology teacher (since most of the job postings and forum discussions are mainly around 'English' teaching).

Honestly speaking, Thais are usually pretty much racist and see Indian people a sort of "less liked". I don't think that it's easy to land a good paid position in your area, you might consider to be more flexible. But I think that she's not allowed to teach on a dependent visa, a Non-B is usually required.

3. Would the school apply for a work permit for her (she is currently on dependant visa) and is work permit legally required if she intends to do only a part-time assignment?

Even for a part time job, she'll have to have a work permit.

Why don't you try a little bit harder to find a suitable position in her field of study? Best of luck.

She plans to teach biology, a CELTA or a TESOL is a qualification to teach English, not other subjects.

That said, to stand any chance of teaching biology in an international school (I doubt Thai state schools would consider a non-native), she would have to have an internationally recognised qualification to teach her subject, and very likely, given her Indian nationality, demonstrate her fluency in English.

[Praz]

@ lostinissan and asdecas: Thanks for your inputs.

Demonstrating english proficiency isn't a problem for her. Given the fact that she was an ace at her academics and that she has some on and off experience wih teaching, she should be fairly comfortable in a classroom.

We'll look around for a suitable school thats closer to our residence.

Thanks!

[duanebigsby]

Sticking to the International schools is a good idea but harder to get into.

don't give up applying though.

Some of the better, bigger government schools have Intensive English Programs which includes math, physics, biology etc

taught in English. They do pay less but would be easier to get into.

[oncearugge]

Sorry but your wife does not have a "medical" degree !

She has a "degree" in homeopathy which would not allow her to register as a medical practitioner in any Western country.

If she now wishes to be a teacher the Teachers' Council of Thailand will provide details of the degrees required and the licencing arrangements.

Be aware only a job which enables a "B" visa and a Work permit will be legal.

[beerzy]

Indian

1. Is there an additional qualification that she should do (like teaching course etc) to qualify as a teacher in Thailand?

Considering that she's got a degree, she might find a job without doing a TEFL, or TESOL. But it would look better.

Laws and regulations are constantly changing and having an Army guy on the top of the MoE doesn't make it easier. No more to add.

2. How easy is it for her to get into one of the english instruction or International school as a Biology teacher (since most of the job postings and forum discussions are mainly around 'English' teaching).

Honestly speaking, Thais are usually pretty much racist and see Indian people a sort of "less liked". I don't think that it's easy to land a good paid position in your area, you might consider to be more flexible. But I think that she's not allowed to teach on a dependent visa, a Non-B is usually required.

3. Would the school apply for a work permit for her (she is currently on dependant visa) and is work permit legally required if she intends to do only a part-time assignment?

Even for a part time job, she'll have to have a work permit.

Why don't you try a little bit harder to find a suitable position in her field of study? Best of luck.

Hi Which qualificion is better TEFL, or TESOL? can you recommend a training institution here in bangkok or is Online better????

[gyrosman]

stop asking questions on her behalf, if she is a professional woman ( lucking you), she's need to learn and grow with paperwork!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Suradit69]

My wife is a qualified doctor ( 5 years bachelor course from India in Homeopathy) and had done PG in Clinical Research. She was working with Pharmaceutical Drug Safety field back home.

I doubt that a 5 year bachelors course in homeopathy would establish her as qualified to teach biology in most reputable international schools or government schools for that matter. She is not a qualified medical doctor and I doubt her course of study would even be officially recognized here.

Hi Which qualificion is better TEFL, or TESOL? can you recommend a training institution here in bangkok or is Online better????

You do understand that both of those courses are intended for teachers of English. Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. If she were qualified to teach biology, those additional qualifications might help in her job search, but I doubt that it would be the first thing a perspective school would look for when hiring a biology teacher.

[Craig krup]

There's a website called "How homeopathy works" and when you click on the link all you get is "It doesn't!"

Most of the conditions that people consult a medical doctor for are self-limiting: you'll get better anyway. Of the rest most are things which wax and want, like eczema. treatment takes place when the condition is a little worse than normal, which means - thanks to regression towards the mean - the next most likely thing to happen is "improvement". These two things make anything from homeopathy to sacrificing virgins seem to work. None of this has anything to do with the placebo effect, and there isn't one person in twenty who'll accept this.

I'd recommend "How we know what isn't so" - a very good read.

You can't teach biology unless you've got advanced qualifications entirely unrelated to homeopathy. The only thing homeopathy qualifies you to do is separate people who can't think from their money.

[lostinisaan]

< snip>My wife is a qualified doctor ( 5 years bachelor course from India in Homeopathy) and had done PG in Clinical Research. She was working with Pharmaceutical Drug Safety field back home

Well to come to the point: being a medical doctor, she is very comfortable in Biology and thats what she plans to teach at school level (secondary and higher levels). < snip end>

OP, reading your post and some replies made clear that your wife is in no way a "qualified doctor."

"Homeopathy is a pseudoscience and its remedies have been found to be no more effective than placebo" Please see Wikipedia.

I've just read a few articles online and so more I read so less seem to be your wife's chances of finding such a teaching position in Thailand.

As already mentioned in my earlier post, Thais are generally speaking racist and people with dark skin are second class people.

( Even if you're from Sikkim, or a similar area)

There's an Indian many years ago who was well dressed and well behaved, who came to my school and opened the door of an EP classroom.

The next thing I saw was a Thai teacher running to the classroom door to tell the Indian guy to immediately leave the campus.

She must have thought that he wanted to sell flying carpets, or some fancy clothes....

What she didn't know (at this time) was that she taught his daughter and this guy's so filthy rich that he could have bought the whole school, including the director.

Please, no offense in my post. Just wanted to tell you the truth. Considering that she's not a medical doctor, by law is she not even allowed to inject some harmless Antibiotics.

I did some Googling and I didn't find anything that shows that your wife would be perfect in biology. That's not even a part of what they have to study for their degree.

A good example might be a car mechanic, who has to learn some basic electrical principals, but is mainly doing mechanical work. If there's an electrical/electronical problem, a special for this job educated person has to do the job.

Regardless of what subject your wife's planning to teach, no matter what grade level she will teach, she'll have to teach it in English. The pay scale for Non-native English speaking teachers, even if they "only teach subjects", is generally very low.

And looking for a part-time biology teaching position in Pattaya seems to be as easy as to make wine out of water. Even if she'd find a job, she'd have to pass a TOEIC examination, as a proof of her language proficiency.

Even if she's find a job tomorrow, she wouldn't be allowed to teach on a dependent visa.

Then the DoL, the TCT and the guy with his white gloves....Best of luck. -

Edited October 27, 2015 by lostinisaan

[Praz]

Guys,

Thanks for the inputs and some of these help.

However I wish to comment on some of your statements with regards to my wife's qualification.

While I do not wish to argue on merits of Homeopathy...

I definitely can state that your assumption of a degree in Homeopathy from India is completely incorrect.

in India, Homeopathy is recogonised as one of alternate medicines and a bachleor degree in homeopathy is as controlled as it is for a bachelors in allopathy.

Which means, one needs to have a Biology Major in High school and a good grade to get into Homeopathy.

In the 5 years course they go through human anatomy, basics of surgery... pretty much similar courses as an Allopath does in Bachelors. Just that the pharmaceutical and diagnosis subjects would be different.

Now in Western world, where Homeopathy may not be recogonised as a alernate system of medicine, there may not be a Government prescribed and controlled course... and I do know that many with little or no biology background could do a short course on Hoemopathy which is basically about their system of medication and nothing about Human Anatomy etc.

Please read my original post, I am not asking your advise on whether she can practice as a doctor here... my question was what is necessary to be a Biology teacher in Thailand. Now with some one that does a very similar course structure to an Allopath and studies for 5 years, can , if not the very least, handle biology for school pupils.

[Praz]

Syllabus for BHMS (Bachleor in Homepathy):

1. Anatomy.
2. Physiology including Biochemistry.
3. Organon of Medicine, Principles of Homoeopathic Philosophy & Psychology.
4. Homoeopathic Pharmacy.
5. Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Therapeutics.
6. Pathology & Microbiology.
7. Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.
8. Practice of Medicine.
9. Surgery.
10. Obstetrics and Gynecology.
11. Community Medicine.
12. Case Taking and Repertory.

Syllabus for MBBS (Allopathy):

Anatomy, Bio-chemistry, Physiology

Community Medicine; Forensic Medicine,

Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology

Community Medicine, Medicine and allied

subjects (Psychiatry, Dermatology); Obst.

Gynae.; Pediatrics;

Surgery and allied subjects

Similarities between both Allopathy and Homeopathy streams of education in India have been highlighted in a different font.

[mrwebb8825]

Why bother with lower end schools (primary or secondary) ? Have her go around to the universities that have nursing programs. She'll stand a better chance and you don't need a TCT teaching licence or a TEFL type course. 1st year nursing students need to study Biology.

[Praz]

Why bother with lower end schools (primary or secondary) ? Have her go around to the universities that have nursing programs. She'll stand a better chance and you don't need a TCT teaching licence or a TEFL type course. 1st year nursing students need to study Biology.

Thanks that a solid advise.

[Craig krup]

Syllabus for BHMS (Bachleor in Homepathy):

1. Anatomy.
2. Physiology including Biochemistry.
3. Organon of Medicine, Principles of Homoeopathic Philosophy & Psychology.
4. Homoeopathic Pharmacy.
5. Homoeopathic Materia Medica & Therapeutics.
6. Pathology & Microbiology.
7. Forensic Medicine and Toxicology.
8. Practice of Medicine.
9. Surgery.
10. Obstetrics and Gynecology.
11. Community Medicine.
12. Case Taking and Repertory.

Syllabus for MBBS (Allopathy):

Anatomy, Bio-chemistry, Physiology

Community Medicine; Forensic Medicine,

Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology

Community Medicine, Medicine and allied

subjects (Psychiatry, Dermatology); Obst.

Gynae.; Pediatrics;

Surgery and allied subjects

Similarities between both Allopathy and Homeopathy streams of education in India have been highlighted in a different font.

Here's the thing. How can anyone study science at an appropriate level and then think that homeopathy has any credibility at all? The one precludes the other. It's like study nuclear engineering for four years and then trying to make a reactor by burning some sticks of wood.

[Praz]

Hi Craig,

Like I said before, I am not here to discuss and argue on Homeopathy. Any discussions on this only flies tangential to the subject for which I started this thread. Anywhich ways I did get my answer on what I looked for.

Ciao.

[Craig krup]

Hi Craig,

Like I said before, I am not here to discuss and argue on Homeopathy. Any discussions on this only flies tangential to the subject for which I started this thread. Anywhich ways I did get my answer on what I looked for.

Ciao.

No it doesn't, it puts pressure on the notion that the biology was covered at a level and in a way that will allow you to teach it. It's like Cuban "doctors". They nearly all fail US testing, with their level of knowledge described as being about that of a Brazilian nurse.

If you understand anything about biology then you don't believe that water has a memory. If it did I'd know where Conan Doyle left his reading glasses, given that I'm mainly water.

Homeopathy is loose stool water. You wouldn't employ a lawyer who sacrificed goats rather than read cases, and you might have some concerns about what exactly they taught him in his LLB.

[Myran]

"My wife is a qualified doctor ( 5 years bachelor course from India in Homeopathy)"

[bigt3116]

Indian

1. Is there an additional qualification that she should do (like teaching course etc) to qualify as a teacher in Thailand?

Considering that she's got a degree, she might find a job without doing a TEFL, or TESOL. But it would look better.

Laws and regulations are constantly changing and having an Army guy on the top of the MoE doesn't make it easier. No more to add.

2. How easy is it for her to get into one of the english instruction or International school as a Biology teacher (since most of the job postings and forum discussions are mainly around 'English' teaching).

Honestly speaking, Thais are usually pretty much racist and see Indian people a sort of "less liked". I don't think that it's easy to land a good paid position in your area, you might consider to be more flexible. But I think that she's not allowed to teach on a dependent visa, a Non-B is usually required.

3. Would the school apply for a work permit for her (she is currently on dependant visa) and is work permit legally required if she intends to do only a part-time assignment?

Even for a part time job, she'll have to have a work permit.

Why don't you try a little bit harder to find a suitable position in her field of study? Best of luck.

Please give us some examples of these constantly changing laws and regulations.