AITSL Skills Assessment for Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO Code 241411)

The Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) is the assessing authority for teaching occupations in the Skilled Occupations List (SOL). In assessing skills for the Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO Code 241411) occupation, it considers two criteria: qualification and English language proficiency.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT

For a secondary teacher, the AITSL requires International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of at least 7.0 for both Reading and Writing; and a score of at least 8.0 for both Speaking and Listening. The IELTS test  must have been taken during the 24-month period prior to submitting an application AND must be the academic version.

Those who have completed at least four full years of study (or part-time equivalent) in higher education (university) in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom or the United States of America resulting in qualification(s) comparable to the educational level of an Australian Bachelor degree (Australian Qualifications Framework Level 7) or higher, provided that the study included recognised initial teacher education qualification, are exempt from the IELTS requirement.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

This article was written tailored for hopefuls from the Philippines. The AITSL has published the Assessment for Migration Applicant Checklist: Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO Code 241411), please download the guide particularly if you are not from the Philippines.

Reading the AITSL guide can confuse, but essentially it is saying that you must have a teaching qualification. This teaching qualification must have been obtained as a result of:

At least four years of study in the university or higher education level;

At least one year of study in the university or higher education level specifically on teaching at the secondary school level; and

At least 45 days of supervised teaching practice with students across the 13 to 18 years age range in a secondary school setting.

Therefore, the following qualifications appear to satisfy this requirement:

A Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education, normally a four-year degree in the Philippines;

A Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Education, major in Secondary Education, normally four-year degree in the Philippines. The major subjects should be shown, however, to constitute at least one year of full-time study.

Any Bachelor degree, plus a course of study in teaching Secondary Education which is the equivalent of at least a year of full-time study, such as a top-up course to a Bachelor degree that makes one eligible to take the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) or a Master of Arts in Education, major in Secondary Education.

All three options should include the mandatory 45 days of supervised teaching practice with students across the 13 to 18 years age range in a secondary school setting.

DOCUMENT CHECKLIST

To prepare for the AITSL Skills Assessment for Secondary School Teacher (ANZSCO Code 241411), you need to have the following documents:

Proof of Identity

A current and valid passport at the time of application. Only the passport identity page is needed. This is the page where the photograph and identification details of the passport holder are.

Those who have changed their names, such as by reason of marriage, should provide proof of change of name. A marriage certificate in this case is valid proof.

Proof of Qualification

Diploma (in Australia, this is called a testamur) which must be accompanied by an English translation if not written in English. (The Ateneo de Manila University, for example, issues diploma in Latin).

Transcript of Records

Course description and/or syllabus (optional) which, although not mentioned in the AITSL guide, may be helpful to establish the duration of study and content specific to Secondary Education.

Evidence of supervised teaching practice

Supervised teaching practice is that period before completion of a degree or course where a student teacher is on a school placement and engaged in a teaching and learning process with school students. This teaching practice is under the supervision of a qualified teacher and university education staff and is formally assessed by the university.

An official statement from the university awarding the teaching qualification is required as evidence of supervised teaching practice. The statement must be on official university letterhead, be signed and dated by a university representative and state: the duration of the supervised teaching practice completed, the age range of the students taught and the setting in which the practice was completed.