Hi, Peter. The simple answer is that it’s unlikely, but not impossible! Without a background or degree in teaching, you will definitely be at a disadvantage if applying to the larger international schools. (I’d highly recommend beginning to pursue an advanced qualification now if you do want to launch a new career in education.) However, there’s always the slim chance that you may just be in the right time at the right place, so it ultimately doesn’t hurt to apply to any open positions. Both I and others I know have simply been lucky in this way in a few cases.

However, in respect to the breakdown of schools in Thailand, the simple rule is the higher the pay, the more stringent they are in their recruitment. As a result, you will ultimately need to gain an education qualification to continue broadening your prospects.

Good morning, Amber. Given that you’re a qualified teacher with several years of experience, you’d certainly be a viable candidate for international schools. While a master’s degree certainly helps in providing evidence of ongoing professional learning, it’s not absolutely required by any schools here. In respect to your questions:

1 – This is always difficult to answer, as it is heavily dependent on a range of factors beyond qualifications and experience, particularly for many well-established schools. What actually leads to an offer in many cases are solid references and, more importantly, being the “right fit,” meaning your values and philosophy are clearly aligned to those of the school, and your strengths similarly align to what they’re looking for at that particular time. The best thing to do is simply research the schools you’re interested in, the positions they’re advertising, and tailor your CV and interview preparation for them. Given your background, the types of schools that you would likely receive offers from would have either free or heavily subsidized (~90%) tuition for your son.

2 – The hiring season starts for us at NIST by November and extends through this month, as it does for a small number of others. Most schools push this forward just a bit more, with December kicking off recruitment drives and ending by March or April. As the school market here is very competitive, doing this early for the next school year has become a priority, so you’re unfortunately a bit late for the biggest drive if you’re aiming for a position in August of this year. Expressions of interest are disregarded in most cases, as most of the better schools have very specific hiring needs each year.

3 – Attending a job fair does offer the advantage of being able to conduct the interview face-to-face in a far more natural manner, and we far prefer it, as do many other schools. While it’s not a necessity, I would highly recommend it if you’re aiming to permanently transition into international schools. Search represents 14 schools here, making the Bangkok fair a good option. While we also use ISS at NIST through their online platform with Schrole, we have not been attending their fairs, so I’m unsure of which schools are at this point.

Good luck in your search!

Firstly, great information on here, thanks.
Ok, for some background info on me, I am a fully licensed teacher here in Australia. I have 6 years full classroom experience (am currently teaching grade 3 here this year). I also have a heap of professional development certificates. I, however, do not hold a Masters in Teaching. But, I do hold a full 4 year teaching degree.
Questions:
1. What are the chances of gaining employment in a tier 1 school and/or tier 2 school on a decent package? I would require education for my son.
2. When is the best time to start applying? Is it worth sending off ‘expressions of interest’ – when?
3. Is it needed to go to the job fairs? Or, even, sign up to Search/ISS? Which one is better for Thailand?
I think that’s all. I look forward to your responses.
Thank you in advance.

Hello, Melissa. Your question parallels what I’ve often seen on teaching groups and forums, and there is a huge misconception around this. The short answer is no. There is no legal requirement for international schools in Thailand stipulating that their teachers must have licensure within their home countries, nor is this required by their accrediting bodies. (However, your school will have to apply for a Thai teaching license on your behalf.) Virtually all schools–including those typically considered to be in the top tier–are willing to hire the right person provided they are the right fit for a position and have some sort of qualification in education, whether that is a bachelor’s or master’s degree in education, or another graduate diploma/certificate. I can vouch for that not only from personal experience, but also from knowing several people who fit in that category and are working at top schools. In your case, your Master of Education, PYP certificate and experience provide a far stronger case than a teaching license.

That being said, having a license/certification in your home country could only bolster your CV further. All other factors being equal, if you have the time and money, definitely get it, as you can still begin reaching out to schools in the meantime and identify the ones you’re targeting. Between the assessment-only QTS and PGCEi, I would assume the former would be more beneficial, as the PGCEi does not lead to QTS. However, I would also stress that British certification is not my area of expertise, so you should definitely seek out more information!

In my efforts to prepare for a move to Thailand and find employment in an International school, I am seeking to learn how I can best prepare myself to teach there in the future. While I have a Master of Education, Bachelor of Arts, TESOL certificate, Certificate of Global Studies in PYPIB and 14 years of teaching experience in International schools amongst other professional development, I do not possess a PGCE or have a license from my home country. I am willing to undertake the necessary course/route to make myself the most desirable candidate. Therefore, I am wondering if my above-mentioned qualifications and experience are deemed sufficient for employment at many of the Toer 1-2 international schools or would they require additional qualifications, specifically PGCE or QTS? Furthermore, would you consider the Assessment Only Route to QTS from Educators Abroad or a online iPGCE through Sunderland more valuable if I were to undertake one if I were trying to get a job at a Tier 1-2 school? I would greatly appreciate your clarification.

Hi, JB. You are indeed correct that well-established international schools far prefer candidates with experience in teaching children, though there is no preference for primary or secondary, as it depends entirely on the role. What you choose to pursue next will ultimately have to follow a decision to either remain in Australia or move back here to Thailand. Before I address each of your three questions, you may want to consider what your minimum desired income would be to maintain the quality of life you want. The reality is that there are only perhaps three dozen international schools in Bangkok that pay 100,000 baht/month or more (either as a starting salary or as an eventual point on their scales), and only a handful pay over 150,000 baht/month. Ultimately, that means a very limited number of well-paying positions, particularly if you’re supporting your family. It’s not impossible, but certainly is challenging.

1: When transitioning from language teaching to international school teaching, I personally recommend a master’s degree in teaching/primary/secondary or a similar area rather than one in TESOL for two reasons. First, it is more versatile. A degree in TESOL still limits people to language teaching and thus eliminates them from being candidates for many positions in international schools. Second, it provides training that those candidates likely never received. Since they already have a background in teaching English, it makes more sense to supplement this with a broader foundation in education. The only case in which I’d recommend the reverse would be for those wanting to remain in language instruction.

2: Although the Bangkok school market definitely has a very strong British representation, there are actually over two dozen American-curriculum schools and a smattering of others as well. Taken as a whole, roughly half the schools in the market prefer QTS in the UK, but that still leaves a large number that are open to other qualifications. American and IB schools are both more open to degrees and certificates from other countries, so a master’s degree from Australia is by no means a bar to getting a job. You did touch on the more challenging point. Although you would not be that old upon finishing the degree–and still well within the range for many schools–the difficulty is that you’d be transitioning into international schools with little prior experience compared to other candidates.

3: Given the option between a candidate with overseas teaching experience in an adult setting versus a candidate with K-12 experience in their home country, most schools opt for the latter. International experience is simply seen as a positive in the sense that it shows that a candidate can adapt to different environments.

You are definitely facing a difficult decision, and the only other advice I can give is to think carefully about how happy you and your family currently are in Australia and whether there are ways you’d be willing to compromise if moving to Thailand. Good luck!