| London teacher, Hannah Brunton recently packed her | | | | developments in the international schools market. |
| bags and joined 60,000 other British teachers and | | | | It's a market that is changing significantly as ISC |
| Headteachers in the process. Having spent three | | | | Research figures attest. In the year 2000 there were |
| years at Barrow Hill Junior School in Westminster, | | | | 2,584 international schools. That number has doubled |
| Hannah moved to Beijing to start teaching at the | | | | in just nine years and looks set to increase to 8,000 |
| Harrow Primary School. | | | | by 2015. That means a lot of jobs for skilled, |
| It's a move that was surprisingly easy for her. "I first | | | | English-speaking teachers and Headteachers and the |
| became interested in teaching in an international | | | | reason why they're looking, says Andrew Wigford of |
| school last November," Hannah explains. "I was | | | | Teachers International Consultancy, isn't just about |
| looking to use my skills as a teacher to open up | | | | salary. "In research that we carried out two years |
| opportunities for experiencing a different culture and | | | | ago, the number one reason for teaching overseas |
| felt I was ready for a new challenge. Additionally, | | | | was the adventure and the opportunity to travel. In |
| having lived and worked in central London since | | | | retrospect," he continues, "teachers and |
| graduating, I found my bank balance to be no | | | | Headteachers who'd been working abroad for more |
| healthier than when I was a student and teaching | | | | than two years were able to say that the |
| jobs overseas can offer the chance of saving money | | | | experience had been very good for their career with |
| while offering a better quality of life." | | | | 89% saying that it had improved their skills and job |
| This figure of 60,000 British teachers and | | | | opportunities. More than that, every single one of the |
| Headteachers already working overseas is expected | | | | respondents said that the experience of working in |
| to increase significantly as the number of international | | | | an international school had enriched them as a person |
| schools continues to grow at a rapid pace. It's a | | | | and 66% had learned a new language along the way." |
| market much bigger than most people, even those | | | | Another teacher who said goodbye to Britain |
| within the education sector, realise. At present there | | | | recently was Scottish teacher, Anna Coquelin. Anna, |
| are 5,374 international schools throughout the world | | | | who taught French and Spanish at Craigroyston |
| using English as the language for learning. They offer | | | | school in Edinburgh has joined the staff at the British |
| a variety of curricula including British, American and | | | | School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In addition to more |
| international (including the IGCSE, the International | | | | sunshine, the teaching opportunities where Anna has |
| Baccalaureate, and the International Primary | | | | headed are far greater than in Scotland. The British |
| Curriculum). Most are independent, highly respected, | | | | School in Riyadh is just one of over 130 |
| well-equipped and skilfully managed. These schools | | | | English-medium international schools in Saudi Arabia, |
| not only attract English-speaking children from | | | | more than 40 of which are in Riyadh alone. And |
| expatriate families but also children from the local | | | | there's no slowing down in sight. Governments, not |
| population; typically the wealthiest of the local families | | | | just in the Middle East but in many developing |
| who recognize that an international, English-speaking | | | | countries like Korea, are actively encouraging |
| education opens a lot of career doors for their | | | | international schools to open as they increasingly |
| children. "In fact, international schools are now | | | | recognize their importance. |
| catering for the richest 5% of the | | | | So what of the international teaching opportunities |
| non-English-speaking world," says Nicholas Brummit, | | | | for teachers like Hannah and Anna? "There are going |
| Managing Director of ISC Research which maps the | | | | to be more and more of them," say the experts. |
| world's international schools and analyses | | | | |