Moving and working abroad isn’t just for high-powered businessmen and financial whizz-kids, there are many opportunities overseas, and teaching is one of the areas where skilled Brits are in high demand.
Teaching in the UK has long had a stigma of gloom attached to it, a lack of funds and poor resources can make life tough for dedicated teachers who want to see their pupils receive the best education, and often this can lead to a frustrating career. If you are currently teaching in the UK and this air of frustration sounds familiar then perhaps it’s time to examine new options, namely taking up a teaching job overseas.
Qualified English teachers are well revered in a number of exciting expatriate destinations. International schools around the world are currently growing in numbers at a rapid pace. The need for good teachers is also rising, and there are currently around 5,756 respected international schools in fantastic locations. With that number expected to rise to 8,000 within the next five years, they will always be in need of new teaching staff.
International schools in foreign countries are known for their high standards and exceptional teachers, and taking up a position in one could be incredibly rewarding for a UK teacher.
Teachers International Consultancy is an organisation that specialises in finding UK teachers jobs in foreign countries with fully accredited international schools. Andrew Wigford from TIC spoke of the need for more UK teachers to make the jump and become expats: “If you’re a British teacher who’s looking for new challenges and new adventures, there’s nothing holding you back from going to work abroad. The reason why international schools have gained such global respect is due to the quality of the teaching they provide. Most teachers who do work in international schools find the experience extremely fulfilling both personally and professionally. The opportunities for professional enhancement, the development of teaching skills, and the experiences gained from working with children and teachers from many different countries are some of the reasons most often quoted by our placed teachers for choosing to work abroad.”
Wigford’s words suggest that working abroad as a teacher could potentially be more fulfilling and rewarding than other traditional expat roles. It’s no secret that English teachers are held in high regard overseas, perhaps more so than in the UK, but simply working in another country is only half of the expat experience.
Teaching overseas will also add to your own skills, and you will have the opportunity to teach in different styles and with different curriculums. Of course experiencing another culture will also give you the opportunity to learn yourself, picking up a new language being just one of the many ways moving abroad can enrich you as a person.
Teaching abroad could also help you if you seek to embark on an alternative career at a later point. The benefits of becoming an expat have been extolled many times, but recent surveys have proved that international companies have a greater level of respect for people who have worked around the world than people who have only worked in one country.
Of course, becoming an expat also comes with other benefits, and expat teachers can enjoy tax bonuses along with the greater sense of reward and worth. Teachers who travel abroad can benefit from all the bonuses other types of expat can expect. By leaving the UK and becoming a non-resident you can escape UK taxes and enjoy the-often more favourable tax regimes of other countries.