IELTS not needed in South Australia

[Dax]

Something has been in the back of my mind now for quite a while regarding English Language requirements for the teaching profession in South Australia.

When I moved her more than a decade ago, I did not need to have written an IELTS. I noted all the fuss around IELTS on the forum, thinking that thing may have changed in the meantime, until I had a PM from Louis in which he pointed out that if you are a teacher from South Africa, you don’t need an IELTS assessment in order to be able to teach in South Australia.

Check out the South Australian Teachers Registration Board’s website at

http://www.trb.sa.edu.au/

Click on Overseas Teachers, then on application and read point 8 in the application document.

Quote:

The English language requirement applies to all applicants for teacher registration, with the following exception:

Graduates from pre-service teacher education programs from the following countries: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, South Africa, United States of America, United Kingdom (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales).

So, South African Teachers who want to teach in South Australia don’t need the IELTS, which should save you a fair amount of dough.

Dax

[JJV]

if you are a teacher from South Africa, you don’t need an IELTS assessment in order to be able to teach in South Australia.

Check out the South Australian Teachers Registration Board’s website at

http://www.trb.sa.edu.au/

Hi Dax

I believe we're dealing with two separate issues here.

DIAC have certain language requirements for visa purposes (most of the posting in this regard) and on the other hand professional registration bodies (i.e. Teachers) may have different requirements/exemptions.

[Dax]

Yep, other professions and jobs will have specific requirements.

As far as I know it is only South Australia that exempts South African teachers from IELTS, I have no idea what the requirements are in this respect for South African teachers heading other states.

Cheers,

Dax

[Tracy]

I'm not sure this is totally correct.

Any overseas teacher needs their skills assessed first, and Teaching Australia requires the IELTS.

Once assessed as eligible to teach ANYWHERE in Aus, the applicant then needs to register with a state teaching body. At this point the requirements may differ.

Tracy

[Dax]

I'm not sure this is totally correct.

Any overseas teacher needs their skills assessed first, and Teaching Australia requires the IELTS.

Once assessed as eligible to teach ANYWHERE in Aus, the applicant then needs to register with a state teaching body. At this point the requirements may differ.

Tracy

I was on the Teaching Australia website today. What i fathom is that one MAY have your skills assesed through them.

South Australia's TRB insists on assessing would be teachers' skils as well. Check their website, they are a bit different from the rest.

Language semantics is important here in Oz. If Teaching Australia says that would-be tecahers from overseas should have their skills assessed there, it means you may, but you don't have to.

Of course if South Oz gives you the OK, it's OK for South Oz only.

Hope i made things a bit clearer,

Cheers,

Dax

[Tracy]

Hi Dax,

I firmly believe that us teachers go through the wringer with applications, assessments, interviews and scrutiny of all kinds! For obvious reasons....

Apart from Teaching Australia, my registration with the NT wasn't automatic by any means - I had to go through all the hoops again.

And from my contact with WA and QLD teaching authorities, I think it's the same.

I fought against having to do my IELTS coming from an English system (albeit in the good ol' days ), but got nowhere.

Now that I have it, I know it will stand me in good stead for applying to do any other kind of work anywhere in the world - not that I'm focussing on anything other than getting to Aus right now!

Tracy

[Guest May]

Sorry to distract from the main thread of discussion but can someone please tell me if there is a life span on the IELTS as I have not lodged my visa application yet but have my English test booked for 8 September.

[Dax]

Hi Dax,

I firmly believe that us teachers go through the wringer with applications, assessments, interviews and scrutiny of all kinds! For obvious reasons....

Apart from Teaching Australia, my registration with the NT wasn't automatic by any means - I had to go through all the hoops again.

And from my contact with WA and QLD teaching authorities, I think it's the same.

I fought against having to do my IELTS coming from an English system (albeit in the good ol' days ), but got nowhere.

Now that I have it, I know it will stand me in good stead for applying to do any other kind of work anywhere in the world - not that I'm focussing on anything other than getting to Aus right now!

Tracy

I hear what you say. It's apity I did not research The IELTS aspect of South Oz sooner, it may have saved some people a lot of trauma.

But as you say, now you're set to teach anywhere in Oz, depending on how long you want to stay in The Alice.

Cheers,

Dax

PS An official from South Oz Teachers Registration Board Confirmed what I posted tome telephonically as well.

[Rison]

I have been saying all along that Teachers wanting to work in Queensland and South Australia need not do IELTS if you have a permanent full time job offer from a school and arrive on 457 visa. My wife never did IELTS and only registered with the Teachers Registration Board of South Australia. She has a permanent teaching position and we gained permanent residency after a few months as well. This despite many Migration Agents in South Africa incorrectly telling us there is no way in to Teach in Australia without first doing IELTS.

My guess is that on a permanent visa application you may have still have to follow the IELTS route.

[Tracy]

Hi May,

As far as I am aware, the IELTS is valid for 2 years.

Tracy

[Dax]

There seems to be a bit of an anomaly regarding the IELTS thing and South Australia.

The following is the text I received in an E-Mail from Teaching Australia:

Good Afternoon,

If a teacher trained overseas without Australian permanent residency or

citizenship wishes to migrate to Australia permanently under the General

Skilled Migration Programme, they need a skills assessment from Teaching

Australia. If you don't get one the Immigration Department will ask you

to come to us.

To work in S.A, you then need to be registered by the SA TRB but their

assessments are only for work purposes and you can't use it for

migration. Likewise you can't use Teaching Australia's assessments for

work purposes.

Regards,

J.Forest

SAU

Now I am I bit confused myself and I apologise to any forum members that I may have confused as well.

In the ease of South Australia, I suggest that you either visit South Australia’s TRB website, and/or contact Andrew Dowling at the TRB as he can give you first-hand advice.

As for teachers who are heading for any other state or territory, rather play it safe and approach Teaching Australia first.

Dax

[The Parsons Family]

Hi

As far as I am aware most states do not require the IELTS to register as a teacher, but in order to be recognised as a teacher for the purposes of PR you need to have your skills assessed by Teaching Australia who require you to do the Academic IELTS.

I must admit that once my skills were assessed by Teaching Australia it was a much quicker process to become registered with WACOT (Western Australia College of Teachers) as they didn't have to assess me again, they just checked my paper work out.

Clear as mud isn't it

Gaille

Edited August 9, 2007 by The Parsons Family

[Dax]

Hi

As far as I am aware most states do not require the IELTS to register as a teacher, but in order to be recognised as a teacher for the purposes of PR you need to have your skills assessed by Teaching Australia who require you to do the Academic IELTS.

I must admit that once my skills were assessed by Teaching Australia it was a much quicker process to become registered with WACOT (Western Australia College of Teachers) as they didn't have to assess me again, they just checked my paper work out.

Clear as mud isn't it

Gaille

Thanks for the reply Gaille.

I was quite confused by all the diffrent bodies, their requiremnt etc.

I can only repeat what TRB officials said to ne and what I read on their website. Also, when we came over we only registered with the TRB and no IELTS whatsoever

I'll check once again but it seems as if the rules must have changed or their might be a communicationgap between registration bodies.

Dax