Thousands of British teachers work abroad, wooed by the prospect of a job in the sun and often a tax free pay package.
Teaching abroad is not limited to those satisfying their wanderlust in their 20s. Many expat teachers spend their careers moving from school to school and country to country. It’s easy to see why. International schools can offer attractive deals: as well as tax free salaries, most include free accommodation, medical cover and return fares. And although the deal may appear less than teachers earn in the UK, low costs of living can leave you with money to spare. In Argentina, for example, teachers can expect a package of around pound;18,000.
But, says Simon Dweck, director of recruitment with recruitment agency Gabbitas: “You can easily save pound;6,000-pound;7,000 without even trying. How many schools in London can you find where a teacher is saving that amount?” The most sought-after candidates for jobs abroad are primary teachers and secondary teachers in maths, science and English.
And you can find out about jobs abroad through agencies such as Gabbitas or the Council of International Schools.
But be wary. One contributor to the TES online staffroom warns: “There are many rogue schools out there who pay a pittance.”
Another says: “We moved to Peru in 1999 with three kids aged one, two and four. The best thing we ever did. We then went to Papua New Guinea... back to Peru and now we are in Norway. “I would heartily recommend teaching abroad with a family.”
www.gabbitas.co.uk
www.cois.org
www.tes.co.uksectionstaffroom
