Page 22 - ELG2111 Nov Issue 478

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT .

t the beginning of 2021, Prime
Minister Boris Johnson appeared
on television advertising
A the idea the UK was set to
become teacher trainer to the world. The
courses he was crowing about were the
international Postgraduate Certificates in
Education, generally known as iPGCE,
though different courses have different
acronyms: PGCEi is common and, at the
University of Bath, PGCie.
The original PGCE is the mainstream
state teaching qualification used, with
some variation, across the four constituent
countries of the United Kingdom. However,
the international versions are designed for
teachers working in mainstream education
abroad, primarily in English medium
international schools. The qualification
does not confer qualified teacher status
(QTS), as national certification to work in
the UK state school system is known. For
returning Brits, though, it may be possible,
at least in England’s school system, to qualify
for QTS by working for two years in an
English state school.
With more and more international schools
employing EFL teachers, or EAL teachers, as
they are called in UK mainstream education,
and more EFL specialists looking for the
kind of well-paid, secure jobs this burgeoning
sector offers, the iPGCE route is worth
considering, not least because it generally The University of Bath offers the PGCie
costs the same or less than an EFL diploma
and can normally be taken while you are
blended-learning form. An additional plus is Going mainstream Going mainstream
working over one or two years. In most cases
the delivery is either entirely online or in a
that the units are credit bearing, which means
with an iPGCE
the university you attend may count the
modules you take towards a Master’s degree with an iPGCE
in the subject.

The iPGCE route is This post-graduate course could transform

worth considering, not your career prospects, says Melanie Butler
least because it generally
costs the same or less and pedagogues” (https://www.sool.fi/in- international school following either the IB
than an EFL diploma english/goals-for-teacher-education/). or English National Curriculum. They can
choose to concentrate on either primary
Some courses only admit people currently
working in international schools and may ask or secondary age groups with a variety of
for other teaching qualifications. The iPGCE academic subject areas on offer.
EFL teachers need to look at course at the University of Derby (the course costs These types may be particularly useful
descriptions carefully before enrolling, £2,625), for example, also requires teachers for those from an EFL/EAL background
because there is a lot of variation on to have qualified teacher status in the currently working in international schools,
previous work experience requirements, country they are working in or be working often as a teaching assistant, but who
modes of delivery and content. In general, towards it. want to expand their job opportunities by
they fall into two main categories. First A requirement for iPGCE candidates to getting a qualification which allows them,
there are those that follow the British PGCE be currently working is most common among for example, to teach the subject which
model, with a focus on age groups and the institutions teaching practice-focused they studied for their first degree. As the
subjects, and involve a significant amount of courses. For example, the University of website for the PGCEi at the University of
teaching practice. Second are those that take Buckingham (offers its International PGCE Strathclyde (£4,500) explains: “If you are
a more academic approach, following the for £4,275) is one among its wide variety an EAL teacher and teach full-time (or close
principles adopted by countries like Finland, of educational training programmes. The to full-time) in school you will benefit from
as described by the Finnish teachers union: international programme is delivered entirely this programme.”
“Teacher education is research-based and its online, but has a personal tutor for every However, those seeking a teaching-
goal is to educate critically thinking experts student. Applicants must be working at an practice focused course, but are not working
22 November 2021