Back to School

Before Steph could enter a Western Australian school as a teacher, she was required to jump through flaming hoops and do some fancy footwork to boot. That is, she spent quite some time filling out forms, having her credentials authenticated, and patiently awaiting a response from the respective educational governing bodies.

There are three separate entities that need to approve a person's willingness to teach in Western Australia: (1) the Western Australia College of Teachers (WACOT); (2) the Department of Education and Training (DET); and (3) Working with Children Check (WWC Check). Each of them has a unique application process that takes six to eight weeks to be processed. Because these departments operate independently of one another, gaining a wholistic view of what is required in order to be a certified teacher proved difficult. Reading a letter of approval from any one of the departments gives the false impression that you are now fully certified to teach. Only later, possibly in an interview, do you learn that you require additional certification. In all fairness to the system, not all the school boards (public, private, and catholic) require approval from all departments. But when trying to find your first teaching job, it's best not to limit yourself to only some of the schools.

The forms are fairly straightforward to fill out, and if you have your paperwork and documentation in order, then you'll have your applications in the mail in no time. However, the Working with Children application had a little kink. This application requires your employer's signature verifying that you are fit to work with children. But if you're not employed, who do you get to sign? And, being unemployed, how do you find an employer to sign if it's a prerequisite for your employment? This situation certainly made things tricky. To solve this problem, Steph volunteered as a volleyball coach for Perth College and had the Principle of the school sign her papers. At the end of the day everything worked out as Steph just recently was granted unrestricted rights to teach in Western Australian schools. Since that time, she has only been able to submit a single resume. That  single submission has resulted in steady relief teaching at Como Secondary College. Steph has taught everything from Geography, Computer Science, Phys. Ed. to Human Biology. She is enjoying the job immensely and learning constantly along the way - her cricket knowledge and handle on Australian History has improved considerably in the past two weeks. The kids are captivated by her 'accent', and all want to know if she knows Justin Bieber. She humours herself by saying yes and watching the reaction of the gullible kids.

Apparently who you know or who you know knows is important after all. It isn't an old wive's tale, it's for real. The impression that Steph has made on the staff at Como Secondary College and the people she has meet may end up leading to more relief teaching opportunities or a semi-permanent position (a term contract). We're keeping our fingers crossed.

On a completely unrelated note, a lot of people are curious to know how the cost of living in Australia (Perth) compares to Canada. Generally speaking, it is more expensive to live in Perth. However, salaries are greater, taxes are less, and, with a little effort, you can avoid breaking the bank. To help with the comparison, Steph and I have published one of our grocery bills below. Please keep in mind that Steph and I try not to buy name brands, and hunt for sales (as a result, this may be a poor comparison tool). This is obviously only a small part of the overall cost of living, but hopefully in can help shed some light upon what it costs to eat in Perth. Enjoy comparing...

Coles Supermarket's new marketing strategy is to sell milk for $1 per litre.

3 x 10" pizza --- $10
3L milk ---- $3
550g onions --- $2.43
420g baked beans --- $0.69
280g jalapenos --- $2.99
45g ladies deodorant --- $4.49
90g men's deodorant --- $5.59
110g toothpaste --- $1.00
2 x toothbrushes --- $1.99
500mL shampoo --- $1.90
200g muesli bars --- $2.09
175g chips --- $2.29
900g yogurt --- $3.50
500g frozen vegetables --- $3.17
20pack Nescafe coffee --- $8.00
1kg cheese --- $7.99
500g minced beef --- $6.00
1kg ham --- $6.19
1kg pork --- $6.39
550g yogurt --- $3.45
775g corn flakes --- $4.99
500mL Italian red wine vinaigrette --- $2.79
2 x 120g pasta --- $2.00
200g feta cheese --- $3.49
1kg royal gala apples --- $4.68
1kg red onions --- $4.98
1 cucumber --- $1.48
1kg bananas --- $9.98
6 tomatoes --- $3.98
1 iceberg lettuce --- $2.98
2 x 650g multi-grain bread --- $3.58
12 rolls of toilet paper --- $4.49