I think the best thing to do is start your own pension scheme. Put aside some money from your paycheck each month - that's your pension.

As for where's the best country to make this pension...add up the total value of all the benefits+ salary you get, take off expenses, and that's the total amount you're saving.

A school that contributes 15% to retirement in Malaysia but pays $30k a year is substantially worse than a school paying $45k but contributing nothing to your retirement. The second one just requires YOU to have financial discipline.

In this sense, likely the best countries to work in to build a pension are those in the ME, or the elite schools in Asia.

So, to conclude - my best chance of 'climbing the ladder' would be to get IB experience in the ME (given banking some money is also a priority), then after a couple of years there look at trying to transfer to a 'better' country. I concur that IB experience is going to be a must going forward.

My PGCE starts in a month, so no chance of changing it now. It's going to be Primary. Unfortunately I wasn't blessed with great physics/chemistry/maths abilities, so I'll just have to make do. I'd also prefer to teach Primary than Secondary anyway.

Does anyone here think Vietnam could be an option for me? Always wanted to travel there.

I've been informed on a different board China could be a good option too.

pinkstar wrote:
> I think some British international schools are now able to let you complete
> your NQT year. Check out the council of British international schools
> (cobis).
>
> I was like you and had taught ESL overseas before. But I ended up doing a
> few years in the UK after my PGCE Primary (Early Years). I really found
> them invaluable as I felt confident and more experienced with my teaching
> by the time I went overseas. I was able to get a job at my first choice
> international school too. Don't forget, as an NQT in the UK you get a lot
> of extra support, extra non-contact time etc. It's really helpful for your
> development as a teacher as well as your sanity! I can't imagine being
> thrown in the deep end at a poor international school where there is the
> potential to have no support, a poor curriculum/resources etc.
>
> If you really want to go straight abroad that is, of course, your personal
> choice. So I would definitely research which British schools allow you to
> complete your NQT there.

Completing the NQT year abroad would be ideal, but from my research on this forum it seems to suggest finding a school that would be willing to take me on to do that would require quite a lot of luck. But there also seemed to be general consensus that after a few years on the circuit, not completing the NQT year wouldn't really make a difference, and after that it'd be all about my results, references, and interview technique.

Regarding sanity...the best thing for mine would be to get out of the UK as soon as possible, even if it makes my first job more stressful. I consider my homeland of the UK to be as much of a hardship location as the worst places in the Middle East, to be honest. Already spent 24 years of my life there miserable so I'm certainly not spending 3 more - one is enough!

Of the countries I listed (Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand) what sounds the most likely? The ESF scheme in Hong Kong looks great but I don't know if they would take an NQT. Vietnam would be great too but again I'm not sure how my resume would be viewed. I'm assuming South Korea and Japan would not be possible at this stage for me (though if they are, I'd certainly be open to going there too).

Basically initially I'd be looking for any job that can give the IB experience - preferably outside the Middle East, but it's not a total deal breaker if I have to move there. Open to pretty much anywhere, I figure my first job should be mainly focused on landing a good school, get that all important IB experience in, then I can decide what my next move is - whether that would be staying at the first school or moving on to another. Would like to avoid South America, simply because after this PGCE I'm going to be up to my eyeballs in bank loans and overdrafts, so will need to be able to save a bit of money too.

Hi,

I'm starting a PGCE in the UK this September, so should be qualified around July 2017. PGCE is in Primary education. Not such a 'competitive' field I know, but quite frankly I suck at high level Maths and Science. My undergrad degree is in History.

Up until this point, I've been working in ESL. Have 2 years experience there, one year in a Monday-Friday private bilingual school, the other in an after school language centre. I'm aware this experience isn't going to be valued at all by international schools, but just giving you all a picture of where I'm at so far.

I have no desire to work in the UK state school system. Essentially the reason I'm doing this PGCE is because I enjoy life outside the UK, but ESL salaries aren't great and you're very restricted in your options, so I'm trying to upgrade my lot in life.

So after I've finished this PGCE, I'm really wanting to get a job at an international school and not complete the NQT induction year. I know that is instantly going to put me at the bottom of the barrel schools (though hopefully still significantly higher than what I was earning in ESL). The long term goal is going to be to work my way up to a nice tier 2/lower tier 1 school (i.e. decent money albeit not mega riches, but a nice work-life balance too).

My questions are, as a PGCE qualified teacher with no experience, what countries/schools would be realistic options? Most of the schools that I want to be working at long term seem to value IB experience, so that's something I'd really like to get on the resume as quickly as possible. Would like to make enough money to put some into savings/decent vacations if possible, but I guess beggars can't be choosers, and I'll have more options after my first 2 year contract. I'm interested in China, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. Less interested in anything in the Middle East though I suppose I'll bite the bullet if I absolutely must. If it makes any difference, I'm single, no kids, no teaching spouse.

Staying in the UK for 2 years post qualification really isn't an option for me. One year in that country is quite enough as it is!