I am hoping to do a PGCE next year and want to spend some time abroad after passing my induction year. Will my UK PGCE be recognised in Europe?
The agreement on the transfer of labour within the countries of the EU means that your teaching qualification should be accepted by other countries within the union and the European Economic Area. The PGCE is an academic qualification that usually brings with it the right to apply for qualified teacher status - actual permission to teach. The EU Treaty doesn’t work within regions of the host country, so Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales do not have to accept teachers from England, and vice versa. Elsewhere in Europe and the rest of the world, your qualifications may be recognised, but not accepted. Like teachers from these countries coming to the UK, you will have to undergo a course that matches their standards. This can range from a short conversion course to retraining completely. Such policies usually only apply to teaching within a state system, the private sector is free to set its own rules within the constraints set by visa and work permit regulations.