My own country doesn't seem to give a shit so thinking about emigrating

[McSnail]

I'm a bit pissed off with the Scottish Government just now. I'm a teacher. For years government has been training far too many teachers, to the point where there's years worth of qualified teachers unable to secure a job. Add to that school closures, budget cuts and a stupid amount of new PFI schools being built, there are no (well, very few) teaching jobs. For every position advertised there are usually about two hundred applications (probably more now) The competition, even for two days a week contracts, is enormous.

Anyway - have just spent the day researching emigrating to New Zealand, and teaching there. I love Scotland and Britain, and never saw myself as someone who'd want to leave, but I'm so angry with the way things have become. I know it's not just teaching - the police force have put a freeze on recruitment, and even the army is cutting jobs.

Am I being unreasonable to want to get the hell out of dodge, and is anyone else in a similar position?

OMG New Zealand has got to be one of the most beautiful and friendly places on earth....move!! Why not try it for a year?

YANBU. The issue in Scotland is not just about the credit crunch as there was a job shortage before that even happened. I had a hellish time getting a job as did many people I trained with. It's only become worse since then and they keep traning too many people, it's not fair. They know there are no jobs so why keep training so many?

I was lucky, after a spell of unemployment and then a bit of supply I managed to secure a job. I have heard New Zealand is a great place to live. Good luck with it I say!

Yes, am looking into all possibilities! I've never been but we almost emigrated when I was young, and I never quite got over the disappointment of not going.

Actually I am a bit tempted myself!

Sorry, that wsa to posie

Glad you got a job, chocolate! As you say, it's so unfair.

Isn't there a glut of teachers for some subjects and a shortage for others?

My local primary doesn't have enough teachers.

YABU I thnk.

A good friend of mine from New Zealand has settled here in the last couple of years and he is a teacher. He has no intention of going back. Maybe that should tell you something...

You're right to feel under appreciated, England and Scotland deserve to lose good people to make them realise the error of their ways.

Lots of people feel the same way as you. While I know nothing about New Zealand you really should go where you will be appreciated rather than penalised.

Good luck.

I think there are shortages in England but not in Scotland.

I trained as a teacher and ten of my year live in NZ, another 15 in Oz.....

My cousin is a teacher, and went travelling in New Zealand this summer.
She said it was gorgeous, but she'd never want to teach there!

I didn't ask why, as I'm not a teacher and it probably wouldn't mean much to me but I think that's very telling.

I'm not sure if teaching jobs available in NZ might not be in less urban areas which could be really quite isolated. Worth investigating maybe. Why not?

tax levels

I would be glad to live in a country that has the luxury of picking and choosing who gets to teach the next generation. I would prefer that there is an element of competitiveness and the schools can pick the best person for the job.

I will probably be flamed for this. I hear New Zealand is beautiful and a great place to live...from all the New Zealanders I work with in London.

I have a friend who has just taken a contract as a helipilot in NZ and I can see why.

If you get the chance, go!

Having said that, here in England we are employing teachers from abroad owing to the lack of home-trained staff. My Canadian cousin came over here two years ago to work as a supply science teacher, has been offered a F/T post in several schools and has never been without work since she came here.

Do you have family and friends here that you'll want to see again? If so don't forget to factor in the expense and hassle of visits back here. There's also the difficulties of having family / friends to visit you for prolonged periods of time. Just something to think about.

My friends from NZ moved to the UK, and then moved back to NZ when they wanted to have kids. They thought the education system in NZ was much better.

My mate is a confirmed cyclist. I know because I've nearly run him over twice as he darted out in front of me to show off his new bike :o

op I should have added that I don't think yabu to be pissed off and looking at options. I would just question why half the population of NZ wants to be here.

I think there are a lot of eople that have left UK and gone to live in NZ and will nto be coming back - that tells you somthing and also there are plenty of people that have left NZ and gone elsewhere, that tells you something and when the Aussies joke and say last one to leave NZ tunr out the lights.

What is good for some is not good for others - so you can't go on where other people have moved to as they are not you or living your life.

NZ is a beautiful country and parts are amazing the people are IMO wonderfuly friendly without any edge, I would live in NZ, but no thinks for Aussie, as it is tottally different way of life and rules to my mind.

Go and have a trip out there and see what it is like for a year then decide after a year of workign whether to sell up and live there full time.

NZ reminds me of Scotland. It has some social problems though.

Impossible to get teaching jobs in England as well.

I may be wrong here but if the situation is similar to oz and England what can happen is teachers go to fill vacancies but then find the vacancies are in the equivalent schools ( ie hell holes) that there are vacancies at in the home country. Did that make any sense? I've worked the international school circuit and loved it but be aware that the grass is not always greener. A holiday in a place is very different to living there. If you are serious about it go for it BUT please be aware that it CAN be even more difficult to get a job when/if you come back as you can be seen as out of the loop. Sorry if that sounds negative because teaching overseas is one of the best things I've done.

they want to be where the action is

I wouldn't like to say which school system is better. People tend to assume the system they went through is the better one. We like to think we got a good education.

NZ has its problems: Gang violence, violent break-ins, etc. You do have to exercise reasonable caution at night and so on, both in isolated places (obviously) and in urban areas. It is not paradise and people do struggle, wages can be quite low in relation to costs for food, housing, petrol. Cars are expensive, most things need to be imported etc. You would have to contribute more to health care, dental care

You have to know if you what things matter to you. Hard to say this country is better than that one IYSWIM?