Page 13 - ELG1601 May Issue 436

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May 2016 Page 13

Issue 5 | May 2016

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Consultancy British teachers flee abroad

ata from the International a far stronger teacher than when
School I left.’
D(ISC) shows that in Sarah Curran, a primary school
2014–15 more school teachers headteacher from Wales, said of
left the UK to teach in inter- Matt Salusbury examines the evidence that more and more UK her current job as head of the
national schools abroad than early years department at the
qualified as state school teachers teachers are opting to take their talents to overseas schools British International School Ho
via the Postgraduate Certificate Chi Minh City: ‘The quality of
in Education (PGCE) route. As teaching here inspires me. I’m
Schools Week magazine put it, EU countries and possibly from ents sending their children to the definitely becoming a better early
there were around 100,000 full- Singapore and China. local English-medium interna- years teacher by working here.’
time teachers from the UK in Why are so many of the UK’s tional school for the first time. Robert and Sarah Graves, work-
English-medium education in qualified state school teachers ISC Research predicts that this ing at an international school in
that year, compared to 82,000 going abroad? The meteoric rise figure will rise to just under quar- Qatar, cited ‘the accelerated pro-
UK nationals teaching in inter- of the international schools sec- ter of a million by 2012. Demand gress we’ve had in our careers’.
national schools the previous tor means there are a lot more is particularly high in the UAE, Keeling says that the Graves
year, so 18,000 school teachers teaching posts to fill than there with ISC Research predicting family now doubt whether they’ll
must have left the UK to teach used to be. ISC Research data that the country will need 14,000 ever return to the UK.
in international schools abroad. estimates that there are around more expatriate teachers within What about the ‘push factors’
This figure of 18,000 is greater 8,000 international schools the next five years. putting state school teachers off
than the total number of post- worldwide, the vast majority of What makes teaching in a career in the UK? Some cite
graduates who gained Qualified them English medium. Some 41 international schools abroad so less motivated students and dis-
Teaching Status (QTS), which per cent of international schools attractive for British teachers cipline issues in Britain’s ‘bog
allows them to teach in UK state ‘used a UK-based curriculum’, with QTS? There is the ‘constant standard’ comprehensives, ris-
schools – there were 17,001 of according to ISC’s media rela- sunshine’ described by primary ing accommodation costs or
these in academic year 2013–14, tions officer Anne Keeling. school teacher Janet Berg, who the weather. But it was notice-
some receiving state bursaries ISC Research data from April was interviewed by ISC Research able from comments by teachers
towards the cost of their PGCE. indicated that as of January 2016 for a Telegraph article. Says posted in response to Schools
England’s chief inspector of there were just over 383,000 Janet, ‘Because of my salary Week’s story that it wasn’t Brit-
schools, Sir Michael Wilshaw, international school full-time and lifestyle, I’m able to bring ish kids driving teachers abroad,
went so far as to warn of a teaching staff around the world, my family over to Doha for the it was the UK state school sec-
‘teacher “brain drain” from teaching a total of around 4.2 holidays.’ While life, especially tor’s constantly shifting regime
this country just when the million international school stu- Copyright Danil Kolodin for women, is more restricted in of form-filling and bureaucracy
supply issue is reaching situ- dents globally – up from 2.75 many Gulf countries than back in – and as one teacher put it, ‘the
ation critical’. He was quoted million in 2010. the UK, ‘weekend trips to Dubai meetings’.
by BBC News in February as The popularity of the British- and many other countries such as However, while there’s grow-
saying recruiting agents were style curriculum at international CHOOSING CHANGE UWC Dilijan international school in Armenia Sri Lanka are within easy reach’, ing demand for teachers with
actively luring British teachers schools creates a huge demand according to Berg. experience of the national cur-
overseas with ‘enticing offers for teachers familiar with it: ‘It The nationality mix among nationals as in Qatar (47 per Opportunities for career riculum at international schools,
of competitive, usually tax-free is why British teachers are so the expatriate international cent in the UAE), with just 13 development with an eye on an UK teachers with QTS are
salaries, free accommodation popular in international schools,’ school teacher community var- per cent from North America. eventual return to the UK can likely to face stiffer competi-
and often the prospect of work- according to Keeling. ies considerably from country In Saudi Arabia there are only be as important as the money. tion for jobs. Sharon Mohan,
ing in warmer, sunnier climes ISC Research collects data to country. Around 48 per cent slightly more British interna- Ian Robertson, a maths teacher senior international recruitment
– at what cost to our own state for ‘premium’ international of all full-time teaching staff in tional school teachers than North from Scotland working in China, consultant at Gabbitas Educa-
education system?’ schools – prestigious accredited premium international schools Americans in the sector (24 per cited the fast career progression tion said, ‘We had over 400
Schools Week commented schools with a strong presence in Qatar are from the UK, with cent from the UK, 23 per cent in China’s international schools applicants for a small range of
that the phenomenon ‘may be in the market that are members just under a quarter of inter- from the US). sector – he arrived to teach in vacancies we were recruiting for
fueling a teacher recruitment of a recognised association. Less national school teachers from While international schools Harrow International School, recently – for just one school’ in
crisis’ in the UK state sector, highly regarded international North America (Canada and the still mainly cater for the chil- Beijing in 2012 and will shortly the Gulf. Mohan predicts staff
with England’s Department schools not in the sample will US). About the same proportion dren of expatriates, the recent take up his post as its head of recruitment and retention will be
for Education (DfE) recently have fewer British teachers and of the premium international explosion of the sector is pre- maths. Supported by experi- among the biggest challenges for
launching a scheme to attract more teachers – from south Asia school teaching body in the dominantly down to relatively enced and motivated colleagues international schools in the years
state school teachers from other and the Philippines, for example. United Arab Emirates are UK affluent non-native-speaker par- from around the world, ‘I’ll be to come. n