Leading international development charity VSO is urgently looking for 50 experienced primary school teachers to make a break from the UK. Primary school teachers are being urged to apply before the 31st May resignation date so they kick start the next academic year with their biggest challenge yet in Africa and Asia.
To ensure thousands of children across many of the developing countries VSO work in have access to quality education, VSO needs qualified primary school teachers with at least two years’ experience, to volunteer their time and expertise in countries such as Malawi, Nepal and Nigeria. By sharing skills with local teachers, VSO volunteers will ensure the continued provision of quality child-centred education.
Primary school teachers who apply in time for the May deadline could be on placement by September, providing invaluable in-service teacher training. Good quality teacher training ensures a sustainable legacy left by volunteers for these hard hit communities. Volunteers will work with a cluster of schools and serving teachers, most of whom will have had minimal teacher training. Volunteers are expected to observe teachers, run workshops, help teachers develop educational materials using local resources and in general focus on helping teachers use participatory, child-centred teaching methods to meet basic educational needs.
VSO also relies on a diverse wealth of knowledge and experience from senior educationalists and school leaders, with many rewarding roles for senior management now available. This very experience led volunteers Deb Jordan and David Spinney to develop the Higher Diploma Programme to improve the skills of all teacher trainers in Ethiopia; a country where 47% of children don’t go to school. Six years on, around 3,500 teacher trainers have undertaken the programme to the ultimate benefit of over one million children, all because of two VSO volunteers.
This key experience in both primary and educational management can lead to rewarding and lasting relationships with local colleagues and allow volunteers to see first hand the impact of their placement and time overseas.
VSO’s education volunteers are committed to supporting 2000’s Millennium Development Goal that all children of primary school age should have access to quality education by 2015.
VSO provides volunteers with flights, accommodation, and an allowance to cover basic costs. UK public sector professionals volunteering for between six months and two years are entitled to claim pension contributions providing they return to the public sector for a minimum of six months on their return to the UK.
