Maths anxiety is believed to affect about one in four of us, the equivalent of more than 2 million children in England – and many teachers too. A feature in The Guardian, written by a mother whose daughter suffers from maths anxiety, shows how devastating its effects can be. Read more and have your say.
Ucas – the university admissions body – has ditched plans for pupils to apply to university having received their A-level results, as is the case in some other countries including Australia.
Speaking on Radio 4’s Today programme, Ucas Chief Executive Mary Curnock said: “In this country we pride ourselves on making a very rounded assessment of a student’s potential… and the fear was that it just becomes about the qualifications.” But is this simply more convenient for universities rather than students? Have your say and comment below.
We’ve gained some exclusive insights into the realities of living and working in a host of countries – from the USA to Switzerland, and from Germany to Saudi Arabia – through our in-depth interviews. So if a job overseas is at the back of your mind, but you’re not sure which country is for you, here’s a chance to play catch-up, and explore four top teaching destinations for yourself.
Helen Thorogood flew out to take up a place – landed through Eteach – at the British School of Washington, where we caught up with her to find out more about the reality of life in the USA.
She told us that Washington DC lived up to its expectations, with a great atmosphere and much to see and do.
“The British School of Washington (BSW) is exactly as I’d seen on the website – clean and bright. It has a pleasant atmosphere and small classes with children from fifty different nationalities and some very welcoming and supportive staff,” she said.
From eating out, to her longed-for walk in wardrobe, and – perhaps more to the point – what it was really like settling in to her new city and job, you can read the full interview here.
If you’re interested in working in North America, you can join recruiters’ Eteach Talent Pools from this link, and view current vacancies here.
If you’d rather live somewhat closer to the UK, then Switzerland offers easy access to nature and the outdoors, with anything to do with winter sports close on hand. But as Dr Ilya Eigenbrot, Principal of St. George’s School, explained when we interviewed him, Switzerland is unusual in that it’s in the heart of Europe, but it isn’t quite a European country, sitting as it does outside the European Union; just like in the olden days, goods imported will be checked on arrival by customs, and other similar bureaucratic complications still exist.
But its strictness means that things are ultra-efficient: “You could say the country operates like clockwork: for example if you need to get a train from one end of the country to the other you can – you can check the timetables and things will be on time,” explained Dr Eigenbrot.
Click here to read the full interview, and click here to join the Eteach Switzerland Talent Pool and register your interest in working at schools in the country. You can also search for current European vacancies.
“Germany is a first-world nation! So things function very well, and it’s a socialised system: you’ve got excellent health care, work conditions, maternity leave – and those sorts of things. So employees are very protected.”
So explained Elementary Principal of the Berlin Brandenburg International School, Camille Du Aime, when we talked to her about opportunities in Germany for British teachers.
She also said that Berlin itself is a very attractive and ‘edgy’ city, rich in both historical and cutting edge culture, and a great hub for travel, enabling teachers to extend their horizons out of term time.
In this fascinating interview with Camille about her own school and about teaching opportunities in general, she also explained how she goes about recruiting, how competitive the job market is, and the standard of living expat teachers can expect.
Click here to read the full interview with Camille, and register your interest in teaching in international schools in Germany via the Eteach Germany Talent Pool. You can also search for current European vacancies.
“In some years we have one or two days when it may rain, but this is not certain,” explained Bruce Gamwell, Director of the British International School of Jeddah, when we spoke to him in December.
He told us about his own school – The British International School of Jeddah – one of the largest international schools in Saudi Arabia, which provides a British-style education to the expatriate and local communities. He also told us about Jeddah itself: it’s a cosmopolitan city on the Red Sea coast, and as well as a busy commercial seaport it’s also the entry point to the Kingdom for millions of pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina.
Saudia Arabia has apparently been little affected by the economic difficulties faced elsewhere in the world, and the British International School of Jeddah offers an attractive benefits package to teachers with tax-free salary, furnished housing, travel allowance, medical insurance and end of service bonus.
Click here to read the full interview, and click here to join the Eteach Saudi Arabia Talent Pool and register your interest in working at schools in the country.
To browse more international teaching jobs, just click here and choose the region that interests you most.
Have you already lived and worked in any of these countries? Why not tell other Eteach readers what it’s really like?
False allegations: ‘Every teacher’s worst nightmare’
New figures obtained by the BBC under the Freedom of Information Act show that the majority of accusations made against teachers and teaching assistants by pupils in Wales over the last five years turned out to be false. But the damage done to a teacher’s health and career remains, says one teaching union. Read more and share your views .
A survey of more than 1,000 parents for the Children’s Food Trust found that 65% would back the idea of a ban on advertising foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt before the 9pm watershed. 87% would like to see healthier children’s menus in restaurants and 83% would like smaller portions of the adult menu offered too. School Food Trust chairman Rob Rees said that parents have a tough job encouraging children to eat healthily, and there are lots of ways to make their lives easier. “This isn’t about a ‘nanny state’ – it’s about what will help rather than hinder parents in feeding their children well.” Full results downloadable from this page
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