Friday 10 July 2009

Why the Need for Foreign Teachers in Schools other than as Language Teachers


Why do we need many foreign teachers in our Scottish schools? I can understand the necessity for foreign language teachers, but this article doesn't mention the subject they teach.

According to the article several foreign teachers working in Dundee schools could be forced to leave the country over an immigration rules mix up. Some of these teachers have been in Dundee for up to six years, but it appears nobody can tell where they're from.

They chose to stay in Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative which was aimed at encouraging international students to work here after graduation.

Haven't we all read about the surplus of graduate teachers who cannot find work? What is going wrong?

Maybe it's time that a real assessment was made of teacher training courses. Just a few years ago there was a lack of teachers in the sciences and that appears to have been corrected.

We must try to make better assessments without employing foreign teachers, unless of course they teach languages. If they are qualified in that area then the more the better I say because our children, from the age of five, should be learning a foreign language and in this modern world it should be Spanish or German. But if they are not language teachers then we should be ensuring the young people we train here are trained in subjects which are needed.

10 comments:

Oldrightie said...

If the teachers are as poorly educated as I suggest they are, better educated teachers from abroad might help, surely? Mind you, with our leaky borders whose to say they are teachers of any sort!

Jim Baxter said...

Who's to say, not 'whose'. Elision of the 's', old nightie.

OK. I have to come out. Finally. I am not a homosexual. I am not a peadophile. I can't even spell it. I have never harmed anybody. I think women are nice. I fancy that bird at the top of the picture on this blog. the ome with the grey hair who looks so self-assured. I could kiss her and good.

I have no voice, therefore.

Where was I. Oh yes, agreeing with Rosy. That's where.

subrosa said...

Oh dear Or, Jim's taking you to task about grammar. Too much gardening I fear for you. My sympathies.

subrosa said...

Grey hair? Jeez! I won't disclose how much the bottle costs but it certainly is more than the interest on my savings Jim :)

Nikostratos said...

Uh we don't send them all back especially the ones from England.
In times of difficulty you look after your own people first. when (if) things pickup review the situation.

why should willing Scots be enforced idle and watch other Strangers take the available employment.

subrosa said...

We don't have many teachers who qualified in England Niko because they require to take a further certificate to teach here.

Strangely enough Scots can teach in England without one.

Dark Lochnagar said...

I agree with learning Spanish, but German? They all speak English and no-one else in the world speaks it.

subrosa said...

Perhaps I'm biased DL because I speak German myself, but the Germans are the best engineers in the world and that's why I think anyone connected with that area should learn German. Also Italians, Swiss etc use German.

I'm afraid the fact that they speak English well too is a poor reflection on Britain's pathetic record with languages.

Julie said...

The problem with teaching is that

a) there is a shortage of teachers;

b) there have been enough teachers trained to fill that shortage, but;

c) Local councils will not give new graduates permanent contracts. As soon as a graduate enters into teaching, they are put on a 'Buggin's turn' list that means they spend an average of four years doing a few weeks here and a few weeks there before they're given one. They cannot even receive sick pay and the like until they have done a certain number of hours on the job.

This dates back to the McCrone agreement, where a starting pay of I think £14 000 was agreed for new teachers. Councils decided they couldn't afford this on the money being provided by government and so opted for this system where the number of permanent posts was limited and everyone else was kept in limbo. This is also why the SNP can't deliver on smaller classroom sizes, because it requires more money for more teachers. It's a sickening situation and my advice to anyone going into teaching just now would be; don't.

subrosa said...

Hello Julie. I thought there was a surplus of teachers and they were having to go abroad to get work. So the labout party in Scotland tell us.

I too was kept on a temporary 6 month contract for years and that was in education. Although I understand the frustration of teachers, they voted for the implementation of the McCrone report and also nobody is today's society should expect to work in the area in which they studied. That's sad but true.

I'm all for class sizes being small in P1 -P3 but thereafter I don't think it matters so much at all. My primary class in the 50s had 35 of us and 34 passed the 'qualy' - all due to good teachers.

Some didn't take up an academic senior schooling and chose the vocational road but of course with only having comprehensives now, there is no choice.

The shambles started with the introduction of comprehensives. No other European country tries to provide a width of education all in the one building.

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