Teachers applying with AITSL

[JTurley]

Hi all,

 

So i'm preparing all the paperwork needed to submit to AITSL to apply for a secondary teacher for a 189 VISA.

 

A few questions to those teachers out there - let me explain my story ;

I have an undergrad - BCom Communication Management and then my PGCE Intermediate and Senior (Grades 4 - 9) but luckily did my practical teaching with ages 13 - 16 in a high school.

1. Has anyone received a positive assessment with an InterSenior PGCE? as i've heard feedback from some that it should ONLY be focused on senior phase and cannot be divided between phases. Share views?

2. If the above is true, i'm preparing that they may ask me for a letter from my uni stating that i focused enough on the senior phase during my PGCE studies, has anyone needed a letter like this and how did you word it? I'm going to send that letter along with all my documents anyhow, just to back myself up. 

 

Please help me out all your wonderful peeps!

[March2]

Hi @JTurley.  I am in a similar situation.  I also got the Uni to give me a syllabus breakdown which explains the courses together with a letter stating that I did 3 out of 4 years towards Secondary School.  I initially started my degree with Secondary school and changed to Primary in my final year(silly me...had I known better )!  Will also be sending to AITSL soon.  Just waiting for my IELTS test report.

[JTurley]

@March2 Ja- Apparently they are so strict! Oh golly...How exactly did you word the letter? Did you state all modules in the letter too?

Edited July 27, 2017 by JTurley

[JTurley]

Hi @March2, Did you also do some prac in a high school?

[March2]

Hi @JTurley I did do my Pracs at high schools. My letter from uni states that with the ages. I also had to get my supervisor to give me a letter stating that at least one year of my degree was towards secondary school teaching and to list the courses that count towards secondary school degree. Then I also paid a whopping R350 to get my syllabus.  Am just praying that I get a positive assessment for secondary school teaching.  Am also following you on FB and I see that someone recently got a negative assessment even though they sent in some documents.  I'm following instructions from my agent so I am hoping for the best 

[JTurley]

Ok thanks @March2. I'm going to get a letter like that too and hope for the best. If not i may do a PGCE ecd and Foundation next year and pray ECD teachers stay on the skilled list for a few more years, so at least the door is not completely closed, but its still lots of time, money and stress...Just gota keep trying!

[March2]

@JTurley at least you have that option. I have age against me and so I need to sort all this out before next year. ?????

[JTurley]

@March2...You will be 100s. All my fingers and toes crossed for u! GO TEAM!

[March2]

Thanks so much dear???. 

[JTurley]

@March2 Did you get a letter from your UNI stating what your major / expertise subject is in Senior phase? As i was just advised on Friday by someone who applied for secondary that this is something AITSL will look for? Our is it stated in your syllabus? 

[March2]

@JTurley I was advised to get a letter from Uni stating that at least one year of study was towards Secondary school teaching and also in that letter to stipulate all courses done towards secondary school teaching.  I just listed them as I also provided a syllabus breakdown with all subjects I did.  Hope this makes sense.

[JTurley]

@March2...Thanks. I've drafted a letter with all that type of contents too. Have been back and forth with UNISA for 2 months trying to get help but so many are on leave or...or...or. Do you mind sharing your contact person/professor who helped you? That's if you studied at UNISA.  All the best!

[March2]

18 minutes ago, JTurley said:

@March2...Thanks. I've drafted a letter with all that type of contents too. Have been back and forth with UNISA for 2 months trying to get help but so many are on leave or...or...or. Do you mind sharing your contact person/professor who helped you? That's if you studied at UNISA.  All the best!

@JTurley I didn't study through UNISA. Did my studies at University of Durban Westville, which is now University of Kwazulu Natal. Sorry I am not much help with any UNISA staff 

[JTurley]

No worries ! 

[March2]

Hi @JTurley I got this from a past post on this forum. Use the contact details from this and see if you make any headway. Hope it helps.

Deezo

Hi @AL160720RL

 

Sorry to hear about your ordeal and i feel your pain because we had such an uphill battle  

 

It took 2 months to get things from UNISA and then another fight because we needed the originals for the skills assessment to be processed as they wont accept copies or certified copies.

 

These are the names and contact numbers for people who assisted me:

 

Hoben Botha

bothaec1@unisa.ac.za

012 481 2981

 

Riekert Liebenberg

lieber@unisa.ac.za

 

Ms Khuboni

khubonm@unisa.ac.za

khubonim@unisa.ac.za

 

Bongeka Mbuqe

mbuqeb@unisa.ac.za

012 481 2828

 

 

 

Hoben was amazing and went beyond her job profile to help as we were extremely desperate and because we live in Durban we couldn't even go to Pretoria otherwise we probably would have done that.

 

I would suggest you offer her something in return for her assistance.

 

I also CC'd and included all the following email addresses as well:

 

educare@unisa.ac.za

ombudsman@unisa.ac.za

malilamw1@unisa.ac.za

molalkp1@unisa.ac.za

 

I suggest you get them to scan and email you copies of the academic transcript and the teacher practical letter before they courier it off to make sure its correct and then once then courier it ask them for a tracking or waybill number.

 

In all honesty you just have to harass them and email them constantly until you get joy but Hoben was amazing and helped us so much!!

 

I hope this helps  

 

 

 

[JTurley]

@March2 You are a super star! Thank you!

[March2]

@JTurley no worries ?. Hope you come right. All the best 

[VenomZA]

@March2 and @JTurley have either of you perhaps receive feedback on your assessments? was the letter sufficient? 

We`re in a similar position, my partner studies Bed intermediary and senior through UNISA, we are looking at the 189  visa, but she has to have her skills assessed for secondary school. She did her practical (and plenty of it) across all age groups including 13-15.

 

Thanks in advance! 

[March2]

Hi @VenomZA I am still waiting for my assessment from AITSL.  It's been a month now since they took off payment.  The teaching practice letter must state the ages your partner did her practise with and it must be a minimum of 45 days with the ages for secondary school (13-18 years) within the study period, not after she was employed.  

[VenomZA]

@March2 thanks a lot! Please do keep me updated once you receive your assessment! I`m holding thumbs for you! apparently it takes roughly 10weeks? 

 

Do you possibly still have a copy of the letter? I`ve been looking around but I`m not able to get a good example of what it should look like. I`m aware of all the content etc. but I would prefer to present it in a way that eliminates the slightest chance of any ambiguity. 

I would really appreciate it if you are willing to give some insight on the layout etc., but if it contains a lot of personal details etc a simple explanation would be greatly appreciated. 

 

From my experience with UNISA or any other university, they are often reluctant to give/help with something out of the norm, since its "too much effort".

So this is what we`re going to do. Phone around to get the correct department and get a point of contact there. I`m going to write the letters myself with all the details, then we`ll just go to the campus and talk to people until someone helps us, and consider taking a gift for their trouble, this generally helps. Then Ill just email the person the letters while in their office they can confirm print and sign... Well that`s the plan at least. 

 

 

[March2]

@VenomZA not a problem at all.  My Professor at Uni was very helpful and was able to sort it out for me. It went something like this:

This is to certify that_____________________was a registered student from (date) to (date) studying (name of degree).....state duration of study (eg four year Full time)  As part of the degree requirements, ______had to complete 10 weeks of supervised teaching practice with the 13-18 year age groups.

That's the gist of what they want.  The ages (not grades) are the most important as well as the minimum 45 days.  All 45 days must be in that age group, so you can't do 10 days with ages 12 and 35 days with ages 15, if you get what I mean.  Be simple and straight to the point otherwise you risk ambiguity.  

While you are at UNISA you must get a syllabus breakdown for all her qualifications both Intermediate and Senior as well as another letter stating which courses were for the Senior Phase.  All this must be done on UNISA letterhead, signed and dated.  Hope this helps?  If you look further up in this post I posted some contact details of people at UNISA who helped others.  Please note I got this from previous posts in the forum so they might or might not exist anymore.  But everything in this process is worth a try.  Good luck.

[VenomZA]

@March2 Thanks a lot! this is exactly what I needed. Ill work with my partner this weekend to do the breakdown and to get the letters typed. Then its to UNISA and English test!

[JTurley]

Hi @VenomZA.

 

My wait is almost half way in, but will let you know the outcome. I too sent a letter from the senior professor at UNISA stating my qualification major subjects which equip me to teach secondary school.  shout for anything else. All the best!

[VenomZA]

Thanks @JTurley! please let me know of the outcome! 

Over the weekend we have drafted 2 letters we might need. We drafted 1 which states the supervised teaching practice (STP) days in senior phase. Then we also drafted one stating all her supervised teaching practice days (including intermediary phase). Apparently you don`t need to teach only secondary if you get the visa? and to register in Queensland you need a letter stating the phase you qualified in and the supervised teaching practice (not sure of other states), so we just drafted one. We would rather get more letters than needed, so we only need to go to the campus once. We will also ask for 2-3 copies. Although Aus is our first choice, I see Canada also needs teachers so we will just get a couple of copies if the Australian assessments comes in negative. 

Another quick question you or @March2 might be able to answer, will the assessment agency ask for supporting docs for the STP, or do we only need the letter? She doesn't have any proof of the STP, and I doubt UNISA will have these on record?

 

We will draft another one based her syllabus stating which subject`s core focus is senior phase, which were her majors and which subjects she is equipped to teach in senior phase ages 13-15. 

 

Thanks for all the help so far! 

Edited September 18, 2017 by VenomZA

[March2]

Hi @VenomZA AITSL didn't ask for any supporting documents just the letter from Uni stating that STP was completed, the number of days and the age groups.  I don't think it will be wise to include the intermediate STP in the letter you are going to use for AITSL, just leave it at the the Senior Phase age groups.  However, get the syllabus break down for all modules completed for Senior Phase.  This is also important.

[VenomZA]

Thanks @March2. Yes the letter for AITSL will only include senior phase STP. And then the syllabus break down, with a letter. 

 

We`re getting a second letter which includes the intermediate STP which we will not submit to AITSL. We`re getting this because if we do end up getting the visas and she needs to register as a teacher in AUS she has one stating intermediary phase as well. Just an "in case letter".