Are you considering taking your international teaching career to Australia?
Take a look at these frequently asked questions about teaching in Australia to find out everything you need to know before making the move down under!
What qualifications do I need to teach in Australia?
You’ll need to have completed at least four full years of study in higher education in the UK, the Republic of Ireland, USA, New Zealand or Australia. Your undergraduate and postgraduate degree must be comparable to an Australian bachelor degree or higher. It must also include a recognised initial teaching qualification (such as a PGCE). As an Early Career Teacher, you must complete a minimum of 45 days supervised teaching prior to teaching in Australia.
How do I get a work visa in Australia?
Australia has an Immigration and Border Protection Medium to Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), and secondary school and early years teachers are on that list. This means if you are qualified in either of these phases, you may be able to apply for a permanent work visa (independent general skilled migration).
However, primary school teachers are not on this list, which means the only type of visa you can apply for is an employer sponsored visa. In summary, if you’re a primary teacher, you will need a school to sponsor your work visa.
What requirements are there when I get to Australia?
Depending on the state you wish to work in, there may be additional requirements for you to complete once you arrive in Australia.
In New South Wales you must:
- Have studied for 4 years in one of the aforementioned countries
- You will need to register with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) to be accredited and the NSW Department of Education must approve you to teach
- You must undertake a refresher course (10 hours) during your first year of teaching in Australia
In Queensland you must:
- Have a relevant teaching qualification
- Hold teacher registration with the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT)
- Meet the mandatory requirements for teacher eligibility
Can I study to become a teacher in Australia?
The short answer is yes – international students train to become a teacher in Australia, but you must have already completed a bachelor degree.
What subjects are in demand in Australia?
Much like in the UK, maths and science secondary school teachers are in high demand for schools in Australia. There is less of a demand for primary school teachers, but early years teachers are also sought after.
What is the curriculum like?
The Australian curriculum is very similar to the British curriculum, including core subjects, humanities and social sciences, the arts, technologies, health and physical education and languages. Australia has a public and private sector for education and the assessment is less exam-based like the UK, focusing on a balance between exams and coursework assignments.
What does a typical teaching day look like in Australia?
Similar to UK schools, a school day will start at 8.45am and finish at 3pm Monday to Friday. A typical school day includes five to eight lessons, between 40 minutes to an hour long.
The school year in Australia starts late January and ends mid-December. Divided into two semesters, each term is around 10 weeks long. The biggest difference is spending the summer holidays in December due to being in the southern hemisphere!
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About the author
Tammy Lane
After completing a BA in Creative Writing and a Masters in Creative and Critical Writing at the University of Winchester, Tammy worked as a Learning Support Assistant, with a focus on helping students develop their literacy skills. She then taught as an English teacher at an all-boys comprehensive school in Berkshire. Tammy now works for Eteach as Marketing Manager, where she can combine her passion for education and writing.
