AS part of its commitment to ensure that every student in the country learns from excellent teachers, the British government has decided to support the best teaching talents from across the globe to work in schools in England from next year.
International teachers who aspire to teach in English schools will now have to meet a new set of consistent standards instead of their eligibility dictated by the country where they qualified. This will not only create more opportunities for teachers across the world but will also make it fairer and easier for the world’s best teachers to teach in England’s classrooms, the education authorities feel.
As per plans announced on Friday (10), new and high standards will be introduced and they include the need to complete teacher training of at least the same academic standard as that in England and demonstrate a proficient level of English.
The move is part of the government’s continuous drive to ensure excellence in teaching in each classroom. The goal is to deliver 500,000 high-quality training opportunities by 2024 to level up and ultimately ensure that a child’s living place has no bearing on the opportunity available to it or the quality of its education.
Robin Walker, minister of state for school standards, said, “I want this country to be the most attractive place in the world to be a teacher – that means world class training, high standards and crucially, opportunity.
“It’s our fantastic teachers that create the next generation of engineers, mathematicians, artists, linguists and doctors and the expertise we draw upon shouldn’t be limited by geographical location.
“That’s why our plans to make it simpler for high quality teachers from all over the world to teach in our classrooms are so important, and why I am excited to welcome the best international teachers to our schools, ultimately to make sure each and every young person has the education and opportunities they deserve.”
Teachers arriving in England from overseas who are early on in their career will get the same induction period as teachers in England, such as reduced timetables and access to a mentor and development. The support will help them as they first take up a teaching post and ensure every teacher is of the high standard required, as part of the Government’s Early Career Framework.
The current system only recognises teachers from a list of 39 designated countries, including those across Europe, the United States and Australia. Teachers from other countries need to re-train, or otherwise find work as an unqualified teacher and then go through paid assessment of their teaching practice.
Michael Gove
Jeremy Hunt
