Volunteering charity asks primary teachers facing redundancy to share their skills overseas
14/04/2009 00:01:00
VSO, the charity that recruits volunteers to work in developing countries, has announced that it sees the job losses in the education sector in Ireland as a positive for the developing world.
VSO urgently requires Irish primary teachers to offer their time and skills in 44 developing countries where it works, places where education standards are poor, and people are living in abject poverty. VSO wants to remind teachers that volunteering won’t affect their wallet or career prospects as much as they may think: VSO covers all costs and placements are challenging teacher-training positions.
VSO urgently needs 50 Irish education volunteers to apply and depart for a new professional challenge in September 2009. Professional VSO education volunteers have an average age of 42 and provide crucial support in developing countries.
Most are placed in teacher training institutes or Ministries of Education in advisory roles. Others visit small schools and education centres in rural parts of Africa, organising workshops for teachers, many of who have had no formal training. Teachers get the opportunity to cut their teeth on teacher training and workshop facilitation, thus adding to their skillset.
Malcolm Quigley, Director of VSO Ireland, says:
“The loss of teaching posts as a consequence of class size is a real concern for Ireland. However, VSO offers Irish teachers the chance to look for something new and a way in which they can positively use their skills elsewhere. People living in poor communities of Africa and Asia are not just suffering the effects of the global downturn, they have already been living in poverty for a time, and have low access to basic education services. VSO is a respected NGO that designs excellent education programmes and covers all volunteering costs.”
Aoife MacManus, a primary teacher from North County Dublin, volunteered with VSO in a teacher-training institute in Ghana for two years. She has an encouraging message for potential VSO volunteers:
“Working in West Africa was a huge learning curve for me. My communication and training skills greatly improved. Volunteering isn’t just taking time out, it’s using your professional abilities and getting experience in international
development. My costs were covered while I was overseas so it wasn’t too risky. I would encourage any primary teacher to take the plunge and go for it.”
VSO provides volunteers with flights, accommodation, training, insurance, medical support and an allowance to cover basic costs. Irish public sector professionals volunteering can apply for a Career Break to avail of time off to cover the 1–2 year period.
In many developing countries staff shortages in business managers, educationalists, doctors and midwives are chronic, so these are the skills now in demand. VSO can use financial professionals where they have strong planning or management expertise.
More information: Contact VSO Ireland on 01-8147070 or email Deirdre.finlay@vso.ie.
