Special education teachers

There is an estimated 150,000 people with disabilities in Namibia with limited access to education. VSO is working in Namibia to improve the quality of education in four disadvantaged regions. The government is committed to inclusive education but physical and attitudinal barriers amongst teachers, families and the community still prevent many children from attending school. The aim is to enable the regular school system to meet the diverse educational needs of all children, and increase the opportunities available to students with disabilities.

As a volunteer at the Ministry of Education in the Caprivi region, you’ll support the implementation of the Ministry’s inclusive education policy in collaboration with regional management teams, inspectorates and advisory services.

What does the role involve?

• Raising awareness of disability issues and promoting inclusive education in regional offices, with schools, educators and the community
• Enhancing teachers’ support system on special needs and inclusive education
• Attending all regional management meetings
• Developing links with relevant ministries and collaborating with regards to early identification of disabilities
• Ensuring the inclusion of disability issues in the annual regional plan
• Acting as the main contact for all aspects of inclusive education within the region
• Organising and delivering training programs on early identification of needs and compensatory teaching methods

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be an experienced teacher with a strong background in special needs assessment, teaching and training. Knowledge of inclusive and supportive education practices are essential. You’ll have good networking, planning and management skills. Patience, tolerance and a sense of humour are valuable traits in all our volunteers, as you’ll often need to work with limited resources. Perseverance, flexibility and innovation are required.

And the rest...

Namibia is one of the largest and least known countries in Southern Africa. It’s a land of contrasts, with the vast landscapes and spectacular red dunes of the Namib Desert, the unspoilt Atlantic coast and game-rich national parks. You’ll be based in Caprivi region in a town known as Katima Mulilo, the regional main centre. Katima Mulilo is on route to the famous Victoria Falls.

In 1990, Mongolia emerged from 70 years of Soviet-style communism, benefiting from more liberal policies. However, many people have suffered from the sudden withdrawal of state support and one third of Mongolia’s population lives below the poverty line, with unemployment rates up to 50 per cent in some towns. The lack of funding has also had a direct impact on the education system, especially for children with special needs, who are often entirely excluded.

As a SEN teacher trainer you’ll work to improve the quality of teaching and increase access to education for children with disabilities through training. You’ll also raise awareness in the community of the value of inclusive education and work with disabled children’s families on ways they can positively impact upon their education.

What does the role involve?

• Devising and delivering staff development workshops for teachers and staff at the Association of Parents with Disabilities
• Developing manuals and training resources for staff and parents of children with special needs
• Raising awareness in the community about disability
• Working with staff to develop inclusive education strategies

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be a qualified teacher with at least three years’ experience of working with children with disabilities and special needs. You’ll need good knowledge of inclusive teaching methodology and any experience of developing rehabilitation programmes at community level would be an asset. You’ll need to be patient, flexible and have a positive attitude, as you’ll be working with limited resources and be able to adapt to a new culture and way of working.

And the rest...

Sandwiched between Russia and China, Mongolia is one of the largest and highest countries in the world, with 40 per cent of its territory covered in mountains. Pristine steppe and extensive forests stretch out for thousands of kilometres, representing one of the world’s most unspoilt landscapes. The country has a unique nomadic culture that still forms the backbone of national identity today. The climate in Mongolia can be harsh and temperatures often drop down to minus 40C° in January. The air however is exceedingly dry so the cold doesn’t feel as bad as it sounds! Summers are lovely with pleasantly warm temperatures in June and August and July can be very hot.

We’ll ask you to commit to 12-24 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.

Statistics in 2005 found that there are over 1.1 million children with disabilities in Vietnam. Although the country has made some progress in developing education for children with disabilities, there is still a lack of facilities, knowledge and experience. Seventy-five per cent of children identified as having disabilities do not go to school.

VSO is working with Vietnam Plus, who aims through an inclusive education programme to build a more inclusive society for people with disabilities. In particular this placement aims to build the knowledge and skills capacity of the Vietnam Plus’s project teams, with regards to inclusive education development for children with special needs. You will organise joint training courses for Vietnam Plus’s projects in collaboration with the Faculty of Special Education of Ho Chi Minh city University.

What does the role involve?

• Collaborating with project teams in identifying and assessing communities and schools in order to develop detailed activity plans
• Providing support to project teams in developing activity plans for the implementation of the inclusive education programme at four sites of Vietnam Plus
• Developing monitoring and evaluation tools to assess the results of the project on six and 12 month basis
• Consulting on health situations with the project team for people with disabilities in the community
• Collaborating with the District’s Board of Education and training to provide support, training materials and training to school teachers for children with disabilities
• Networking with individuals, national and international organisations to ensure effective implementation of the project

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll need at least five years’ experience of working with children with special educational needs with a focus on inclusive education development. Experience in producing training materials and training others in a community-based approach. You’ll have excellent communication skills, negotiation and team working skills. Experience in health care or physiotherapy for people with disability is advantageous. You need to be flexible, patient and able to work effectively in a cross-cultural environment. An enthusiasm and interest in becoming involved with the community and language is desirable.

And the rest...

Vietnam is a long, thin country in South East Asia, bordering Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. The country has a beautiful coastline that stretches over 3,000 km along the South China Sea. The programme office is based in Hanoi, North of Vietnam (the capital) and the placement is in Mekong delta area, south. Vietnamese cuisine is quite similar to Thai food - curries, soups and noodle dishes, with soy sauce, lemongrass and often lots of chillies!

We’ll ask you to commit to 24 months to make a sustainable contribution to development. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.

Rwanda’s education system saw two-thirds of its qualified teachers killed or exiled during the 1994 genocide. The country has made extraordinary progress since then, with economic growth recently having been the second highest in Africa. Education was prioritised in Rwanda as a means of rebuilding a nation devastated by years of civil conflict and repression. However, the quality of education, particularly for those with special educational needs, remains poor.

As an SEN teacher at the Butare Centre for the deaf you’ll strengthen teacher capabilities by providing training on inclusion and innovate the content and approach of training programmes.

What does the role involve?

• Conducting an assessment of special educational needs in the region
• Training staff in identifying, assessing and handling children with special educational needs and providing training on inclusion
• Training faculty staff in the planning, preparation and delivery of lessons with a focus on children with special educational needs
• Assisting teachers in organising workshops for parents to increase understanding of the importance of early intervention

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be a qualified teacher with at least three years’ experience in working with children with special educational needs. Experience of developing inclusive teaching methodology is essential, and patience and adaptability are key to living and working in a developing country. You’ll need to be able to adapt your knowledge and skills to a new cultural context, be able to work effectively as part of team as well as individually using your own initiative.

And the rest...

Known as the ‘Land of the thousand hills’, Rwanda is one of the smallest and most beautiful countries in Africa. You’ll be based in the small town of Mushubi in the south of Rwanda, which has a cool and pleasant climate all year round. As for food, the staple Rwandan diet is beans, rice, grilled bananas and fast food favourites such as spicy fried meatballs and goat shish kebabs.

We’ll ask you to commit to 12-24 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a local salary, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.

VSO works on the Thai-Burma border with Burmese refugees and migrants as well as their Thai host communities to ensure that all children and young people in the refugee camps along the border are able to gain an education. As a teacher trainer working with the World Education Consortium on improving pre-service and in-service teacher training in Burmese schools, you’ll have specific responsibilities relating to issues surrounding inclusion. This role is a unique opportunity for you to have direct impact on the quality of education provided to some of the most disadvantaged children in Thailand.

What does the role involve?

• Supporting KWO with developing, planning and implementing an inclusive education programme across seven refugee camps
• Assessing the skills of KWO staff and assistant teachers with respect to special education, and providing training and mentoring as necessary
• Promoting models of inclusion amongst camp-based education managers and teachers

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You’ll be a qualified teacher with extensive experience of primary school teaching and of working with children with special needs. You’ll have experience and a strong commitment to inclusive education and a strong knowledge of early intervention for children with special needs. You’ll need to be able to adapt to different ways of working and be willing to travel. A positive and forward-looking attitude is essential especially as resources may be limited. Cultural sensitivity, patience and a sense of humour are also important qualities in all VSO volunteers.

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You’ll be based in Mae Sot, a bustling frontier town adjacent to Burma and seven hours’ drive from Bangkok. Thais, Burmese, Karen, Chinese and a few Kayah and Hmong constitute the ethnic mix. The majority of people in Mae Sot are Buddhists, though there are also Christian and Moslem communities. Many beautiful temples, waterfalls, and national parks close to Mae Sot town attract tourists for sightseeing, trekking and rafting.

We’ll ask you to commit to 26 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. In return, we’ll give you comprehensive financial, personal and professional support. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.

You’ll be working with Women for Justice in Africa (WOJA) addressing violence against deaf women. WOJA aims to provide legal aid and support to deaf women. Traditionally they have been unable to communicate with service providers (police, medical personnel, etc) and WOJA will provide Sign Language interpretation on selected days at community legal aid centers. In addition WOJA provide education for deaf women through Sign Language and raise funds to advance the rights of deaf women.

Your role at WOJA is critical; as you’ll train staff in Sign Language in order to better integrate deaf women into the organisation’s activities. You’ll develop means of informing deaf women in the local communities, local government and other NGOs of WOJA’s work. The outcome of your placement will be an increase in the number of deaf women who are able to demand their rights from police, the legal or healthcare systems.

What does the role involve?

• Training WOJA staff in Sign Language communication
• Developing materials and methods of informing deaf women of WOJA’s activities and support
• Networking with like-minded organisations to increase the opportunities for deaf women to become integrated into local communities at all levels.

Skills, qualifications and experience required

You are an experienced Sign Language interpreter and you’ll have at least three years’ work experience with a development organisation. The job centres round training and developing the skills of others, so evidence of this in your professional life is essential.

You’ll need to be flexible, adaptable and comfortable with setting up and managing projects with little professional support. You’ll be willing to adapt to Kenyan Sign Language and training will be provided in this.

And the rest...

Nairobi is the capital of Kenya and one of the largest cities in Africa, with a population of around three million. The high population is a result of rural-urban migration, as people search for employment. Nairobi is a very cosmopolitan city, diverse, stimulating and ranging from the highest income earners in the country to some of the poorest. Kenya is an ethnically diverse country, with 50 different tribes, all with different cultures and customs.

We'll ask you to commit to 12 months to make a sustainable contribution to our development goals. We'll provide you with extensive training before your placement, and our financial package includes a local living allowance, return flights, accommodation, insurance and more. When you return to your home country, we'll help you to resettle and many of our returned volunteers stay involved with us long after their placement ends.