Page 6 - ELG2210 Oct Issue 482

NEWS .

EFL teachers
The global race for EFL teachers

By Melanie Butler
All English-speaking destination
countries are reporting a shortage
of two vital elements: host families
and teachers. New Zealand, which
is still waiting to fully reopen, is
already feeling the pinch, according PHOTO PUBLICDOMAINPICTURES FROM PIXABAY
to Darren Conway, chair of English
New Zealand and director of
Languages International.
“I can confirm that we are
certainly short of teachers (and
accommodation),” he told the
Gazette. “We are coping for
now, but given that the industry
recovery is only just starting,
we are going to need to keep
finding (good) teachers and
accommodation supply faster
than student demand grows for
quite some time yet.”
Conway also highlights another
worldwide problem, a fall in the
supply of new TEFL-trained
teachers. “As a CELTA provider,
we know that training demand is
down significantly, so there’s no
easy solution coming from that
direction,” he says. Language schools across the English speaking world are desperate for teachers to come
As it explains on page 32, from aboard
English New Zealand plans to
increase the number of foreign offering barely above the C$14 an a scam or to make a complaint requirement for graduate teachers
teachers coming in on working hour minimum wage, concerns are about the substandard, and often during Covid and dropped the
holiday visas. Australia is looking growing that non-native speakers overcrowded, conditions of their education level demanded to
at the same solution. may become victims of unfair accommodation.” level 5 – conveniently the level you
According to a press release employment practises. Teachers coming in from abroad get by passing a CELTA course.
issued by English Australia in Across the world, barriers to are likely to find themselves in the Recruitment problems have
August, “colleges are facing non-native speaker teachers are same position. eased somewhat after the summer
further challenges as teachers falling, but teacher exploitation In Malta, where hourly rates peak season, the first post-Brexit
who were forced to leave the may be on the rise. are less than half the Irish and year in which schools were
sector because of the significant accommodation is also scarce, banned from bringing in teachers
reduction in student numbers are Ireland full to bursting schools have responded by from the EU or anywhere else. But
proving difficult to lure back.” In Ireland, where teachers from offering shared accommodation retention is difficult as teachers
English Australia has now across the EU are welcome, it is and monthly salaries – though a switch schools in search of better
proposed three measures to the the chronic housing shortage that monthly rate of €1,000, which is rates and more guaranteed hours.
government: increasing the is holding back staff supply. With lower than that on offer in the rest Fixed-term contracts are
length of time allowed for working the highest average hourly rate of of southern Europe, is unlikely to beginning to appear. One schools
holidays, state subsidies for pay in European EFL at €20 (£18), attract many EU citizens. offered £19,760 for 30 teaching
training courses, and the addition and teachers offered 30 teaching hours and 40 hours on site –
of EFL teachers to national and hours a week (the highest contact Malta’s solution exactly minimum wage. Another
regional labour shortage lists. hours in the OECD), the supply Meanwhile, the Maltese is offering £20,869 for 19 hours
Australia’s main advantage in of work isn’t a problem, finding a government has been emailing its teaching. The total number of
the worldwide fight for teachers is place to live is. school leavers with offers of free hours on site, the basis on which
its hourly Elicos wage rates. These In mid-September, the French TEFL courses. Only 3% of the minimum wage is calculated, is
have to be agreed with the unions government issued a warning to population of the Mediterranean not given.
and are between AUD$55 (£33) citizens planning to work or study nation has a university degree and Neither rate reaches the salary
and AUD$66.15 (£39.76), which in the Irish Republic about the graduate status has never been a level required to bring an EFL
may be the highest in the world. soaring rents. Shortly afterwards the sine qua non for EFL teachers. In teacher in from abroad, which is
Canada, too, is facing a shortage Irish Council for Overseas New Zealand, which only has 5% £21,300 a year, according to the UK
of teachers, according to Language Students (ICOS) issued the graduates, it is not a requirement skilled workers visa site (https://www.
Canada. But teachers’ unions following statement: “This year... for temporary teachers. In gov.uk/government/publications/
complain that the low rates of pay ICOS has been contacted by Australia, with 30% graduates, skilled-worker-visa-going-rates-for-
have meant recent migrants have many students looking for help it is. eligible-occupations/skilled-worker-
been loathe to fill the gaps. With finding accommodation, to report In the UK (36% graduates) visa-going-rates-for-eligible-
unaccredited schools in Ontario that they are homeless, to report the British Council waived the occupation-codes).
6 October 2022