Page 18 - ELG2301 Jan Issue 483

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT .

What is an iPGCE and why

you might want one

This further bit of education can open a number of doors, as Melanie Butler explains

he UK’s International Post Graduate
Certificates in Education, known
as iPGCE or PGCEi, is the new
T kid on the block when it comes to
qualifications for experienced EFL teachers
looking to progress their international careers.
These courses are designed to be the
international equivalent of a Post-Graduate
Certificate of Education (PGCE), which is
a one-year initial teacher education course
conferring Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)
in England, Wales and Ireland (in Scotland,
which has a completely different education
system from the rest of the UK, the equivalent
is called a PGDE).
The international version is designed for
people looking to work in the estimated 6,500
British-style international schools worldwide.
It is not currently accepted as bestowing QTS
in the UK, although it’s likely to be accepted
in many independent schools (these have
never been required to recruit only state-
qualified teachers).
Currently, 560,000 teachers worldwide are LINKEDIN SALES SOLUTIONS ON UNSPLASH.COM
employed by English medium international
schools, around half of them in British-style
schools. To put that in context, in 2022, there
were 563,831 full-time teachers working in UK
state schools.
In the next 10 years, the Council of British
International Schools (COBIS) estimate
another 160,000 teachers will be needed the course through partners in 11 regional (£2625) has a mandatory module in curriculum
in British curriculum international schools. hubs in Europe and Asia, with an induction design and Buckingham (see above) focuses in
Unless a third of the British teacher workforce day and 11 months of online courses. Fees vary on different academic subjects.
quits and moves abroad, the international by centre, but most are around £4,500. While most of the courses are run in
schools are going to have to look elsewhere The PGCEi at the University of Bath, England – the one in Northern Ireland has
for teachers who can be retrained to fill which also runs a well-established Master’s closed – Strathclyde in Scotland has one
the vacancies. The main options are local in International Education and a programme covering bilingual schools as well as English
teachers, third-country nationals or EFL for IB teachers, offers blended learning with a medium, which welcomes teaching assistants
teachers. face-to-face element both in Bath and in their and EAL teachers as long as they are currently
For those planning to teach English study centres at their partner international working at full curriculum schools.
language in this sector there is still a bias, schools throughout the Middle East. The price There are a small number of these courses
largely among parents, towards native- for 2022-2023 was £3,400. which cost more than £6,000, but generally they
speaker teachers. This is less the case for those Sheffield, by contrast, is entirely online and come in at around the same price as a Cambridge
also teaching other academic subjects, such as requires applicants to be teaching or to have DELTA. For those who are globally mobile,
maths, history or other foreign languages. It access to classes they can work with. It is a mix prefer teaching children and want a classroom
may be unjustified by any evidence, but it is of asynchronous input sessions and interactive career, they offer much better job prospects than
all too often the case. online seminars, and costs £4,333. the private language school sector.
Why would an EFL teacher want to switch A number of courses require teachers Their main disadvantage, at least to those
into this sector? Because only the university to be working in the field. The University teachers from the UK or with the right to work
sector pays teachers anywhere near as well. of Buckingham, for instance, has a long- here, is that they do not currently give you
Plus, the terms and conditions often include established 37-week course for £4,475 Qualified Teacher Status. Both Buckingham and
free housing, free healthcare and free flights (including registration) with this requirement; Derby have an existing distance QTS add-on
home at least once a year. and the University of Leicester’s iPGCE for practising teachers, which takes a couple of
So, which UK universities offer iPGCEs? (£4,700) provides its own partner schools and years. And for the first time the Government has
Unsurprisingly, the list includes many of those universities to work with students. given permission to the University of Sunderland
that feature in our Master’s listings, including The courses have a wide variety of focuses. to a pilot an International PGCE which awards
those that do well at educational research. The Teeside (£4,500) is designed to cover all the QTS at the same cost as the fees paid for by all
University of Nottingham, for example, offers sectors in international education, Derby teachers in England, which is £9,250.
18 January 2023