Teacher recruitment: The UK’s Department for Education has recently announced that there is a clearer pathway for teachers trained in other education systems from around the world to enter the UK teaching profession. This may be considered a wonderful teacher recruitment technique to bring in a wealth of experience from all around the globe.
Having taught in and led two outstanding English curriculum schools in the Middle East, I can see the endless professional benefits of having teachers from various backgrounds. They bring a rich diversity to the classroom that gives students a wonderful insight to the world.
Unfortunately, I do not believe the UK Government is changing its criteria for teaching in the UK for this reason. I think it’s because of the shortage of teachers coming through to schools and the significant number leaving the profession. Teacher recruitment has become a very pressing priority.
“Quality overseas English curriculum schools are not struggling to recruit.”
What is interesting is that quality overseas English curriculum schools are not struggling to recruit. In fact, even during the height of the pandemic, it was only travel rules that slowed down this teacher exodus from the UK to overseas schools.
A question that needs to be asked is “why are numbers of the UK teaching profession leaving its shores for a teaching career overseas?”. This can be broken down into a few components, but I want to avoid the tabloid style headline of “tax free”. Many countries have income tax or similar, so this should not be the main focus as to why many teachers are looking abroad.
Firstly, there is the obvious adventure concept. Moving to a new country, immersing in a new culture and experiencing a totally different life to the one you are moving from is obviously attractive and enriching.
Then there is rich professional development. I know when I looked to move overseas over 26 years ago having taught for three years in a wonderful school in the UK, many said that my professional development would effectively cease and die. That could not be further from the truth. Having completed an NPQH, Masters degree, various courses and even enrolled into a Doctorate, I can honestly say that both my career and professional development have been hugely fulfilling.
“When I moved overseas, many said that my professional development would cease and die. That could not be further from the truth.”
Some may comment that I have been fortunate in the schools I have worked in. This may be so, but when I have attended courses, the delegates have been from a huge range of international schools across regions or continents. This suggests professional development is a high priority for a significant number of international schools.
A further reason for the exodus to the international arena is the freedom from unnecessary bureaucracy. Feedback from many candidates at the interview stage is that they feel under tremendous pressure beyond their hugely important teaching role. From my experience as chair of a large international heads association, the focus for these schools is not on positions in league tables but on ensuring that the highest quality educational provision is offered for every student. Ironically, the outcome of this approach tends to be that results improve. This is attractive to potential teachers.
“A further reason for the exodus to the international arena is the freedom from unnecessary bureaucracy.”
Let’s not confuse accountability with unnecessary bureaucracy. International schools are held to great account. Schools are compared for the education they offer, parents can switch schools swiftly if they feel a neighbouring institution is offering a better option and the UK Government’s British Schools Overseas inspection, based closely to the UK Ofsted and Independent school inspection, is undertaken by English curriculum schools in every continent. Accountability is very high but appropriate to look at educational provision. It’s a carrot, not stick approach.
The new teacher has a different approach to their requirements than previous teaching generations. This is neither a compliment nor a criticism, just an opinion. This new cohort of teachers do openly talk about their own wellbeing and work life balance. The feedback from the UK is that this is not a priority, hence numbers leaving the profession is a problem. International schools do have staff wellbeing as a priority, making teachers feel cared for, empowered and energised.
Much of what I have referred to can of course be challenged. However, what cannot be disputed is that UK trained teachers are leaving the profession or moving overseas and the UK Government have adjusted the rules to allow more teachers trained outside of the UK to become a teacher there.