drgnphfate.website
💔❌ I AM AN ENGLISH TEACHER FROM THE PHILIPPINES… BUT IN BRITAIN I WASH DISHES IN A RESTAURANT 😭→❤️ The hardest part is looking in the mirror and not recognizing the woman staring back at you. My name is Angela Mae Santos. I’m 34 years old, from Cebu, Philippines. Three years ago, I moved to Britain 🇬🇧 on a Skilled Worker visa, with one dream: 👉 to teach English in Britain. Back home, I was an English teacher. I taught in a private school. I prepared students for IELTS. But my salary was around 25,000–30,000 Philippine pesos a month (about $450–550 USD) I believed: “In Britain, my diploma will be recognized. I will teach in a real classroom. My son will have a better life. My family will be proud of me.” I left my husband and my son Miguel, who was six at that time. At the airport, he hugged me tightly and asked: “Mommy, you will teach in a big school in Britain, right? Like you said?” I smiled and said: “Yes, anak. Mommy will bring you here soon.” I arrived with my diploma, experience, and a clear plan. Reality was different. To work as a teacher in Britain, you need: • QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) • English language proficiency (IELTS/OET) • DBS check • additional training / induction programme • UK teaching references 👉 Time: 1–3 years 👉 Cost: thousands of pounds (QTS assessment ~£500–£1,000, exams ~£200–£500 each, induction/support programmes £2,000–£8,000+, etc.) And while waiting… I had to survive. After months of applications with no result, I accepted a job as a kitchen porter / dishwasher in a restaurant in London. My work: Washing dishes. Scrubbing the kitchen after closing. Taking out bins. Standing by a hot sink for 10–12 hours. Twelve-hour shifts. Late nights. Weekends that don’t feel like weekends. Pay: £11–£13 per hour ≈ £1,800–£2,200 a month after tax and NI Room rent: £800–£1,000 a month (shared house in outer London) Utilities. Oyster card top-up. Food.
