A selection of the latest education news and jobs from around the world:
Overview
An article in the Financial Times this week highlights the challenges Hong Kong local and international schools are still facing hiring new staff members. With less than a week until class resumption for international schools and three weeks for local schools, there is the bizarre likelihood that students in one of the world’s richest and most education-fixated cities will not have a teacher this September.
The article features commentary from Ruth Benny at Top Schools, who suggests that schools need to conjure creative incentives for teachers since the offer of high salaries are not attractive enough at this stage of the game. What could those incentives be? Schools already offer housing subsidies and discounted placements for the children of teachers. Perhaps going the extra mile by offering free school places and flight return packages could be solutions for attracting new staff, but schools will be skeptical of doing this if the compensation package becomes mandatory for all staff.
Without full staff, some of the international schools currently operating in Hong Kong are going to be at risk of closing down or, at best, merging together. Parents will inevitably withdraw their children from the school if they are not getting a fair return for the heavy investment that is required to enter these schools. Local authorities may not be spilling their tea over this scenario playing out, as there has been a clear trend towards de-internationalising the city in recent years.
Australia meanwhile is finally taking steps to tackle their teacher shortage. An analysis published earlier this month pointed to the workload, limited career opportunities, the reputation of the profession, and declining enrolment in teacher training as problems for the profession. The government in December will consider a plan to incentivize experienced teachers to stay in the profession and to create teacher training routes that will be more like paid internships than the current 2-year study break that puts off mature applicants.
Workload, conditions and wellbeing will be factored into the considerations. Perhaps Hong Kong schools can learn something from Australia’s plan.
Current Jobs (@pgcejobs.com)
Eccles Sixth Form College – Teacher of Business
St Mary’s Catholic High School, Dubai – IGCSE & A Level Maths Teacher
Dubai International Academy, Emirates City – Vice Principal
Newton British Academy, Qatar – Environmental Management and Geography Teacher
Yu Chun Keung Memorial College – Native-speaking English Teacher
BASIS Bilingual School, Shenzhen – English Language Arts Teacher
United School International Qatar – Spanish Teacher
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Leo Tung-hai Lee Primary School – Native-speaking English Teacher
Tin Shui Wai Catholic Primary School – Native-speaking English Teacher
Blossom House School – Early Years Teaching Assistant
The School of Research Science – Chemistry Teacher
Collegiate International School – IB Arabic Teacher
Deira International School – English Teacher
News
Around Africa
500 Zimbabwe teachers to sit exam that will enable them to teach in Rwanda from September
Australia
Education ministers agree to draft plan to combat teacher shortages
China
China Education Group Holdings Ltd losing market capital
Dubai
UAE schools to enhance Emirati culture, Arabic studies
Around the EU
European Digital Education Hub: educators share their online learning community experiences
Hong Kong
Schools still cannot hire teachers for new academic year, as teachers leave the city behind
India
After 75 years of independence, how has Indian education progressed?
Russia
UK research institute self-corrects after denying Russian PhD applicant a place based on nationality
Ukraine
Opinion: Ukraine faces an academic crisis
United Kingdom
Nurseries warn of closure risk without new funding
United States
A Dallas Principal lost a fifth of her teachers. Can she hire replacements by the first day?
