1. 11British International Schools • March 2015
recruitment
Abroad appeal
There are many reasons for deciding to teach overseas, from learning a new
language to enjoying higher salaries and warmer climates. But what makes
a teacher decide a particular school is right for them? Simon Dweck reports
In 1995, one year after completing a PGCE in history at
Durham University, I found myself arriving in Japan to
work as an IGCSE-level English teacher in a high school
that ran a bilingual study programme.
As I landed in Tokyo in the middle of a hot and sweaty
July, I remember asking myself “how on earth did I end up
here?” and “do I really want to be teaching in Japan?”
I had no connection with the country and all of my friends,
family and peers were back in the UK. But, this was a great
opportunity. Not only was the salary amazing but
I also had the chance to explore and experience Asia while
doing what I wanted to do professionally – teach.
The lure, for me, had been about beach holidays,
saving money and perhaps learning a new language
and culture – and I spent three successful and rather
inspirational years there. Fast-forward 20 years or so and
I find myself asking similar questions: why do teachers
want to work abroad and what criteria do they use to
choose the school that they wish to work in?
What do you want?
I have spoken to thousands of teachers about their
hopes and aspirations, what they want from their jobs
and what their expectations are. Often I have found
that the research they have done is limited, their initial
expectations are vague, and consequently they are
surprised when you explain how different a role can be in
China compared to Abu Dhabi, for example.
In terms of what they want from a role, I’ve heard
numerous suggestions from candidates – from the chance
to earn better money to simply working in a warmer
climate. There have even been some rather surprising
expectations as well, such as the individual who wanted
his food paid for by his employer or the maths teacher
with two years’ experience who wanted a salary of more
than £5,000 per month.
I would say that, in general, it is rare for a teacher
to start their research by considering the everyday
environment that they will encounter. Cultural concerns,
whether professional or locational, rarely come into the
equation either. However, both of these factors are highly
important, as they will influence how much an individual
enjoys the job and how well they do.
Despite all of this, the schools that a large percentage
of these teachers end up in are a far cry from the ones
that they initially envisaged and in some cases are on
completely different continents.
And where?
Unsurprisingly, research shows that there are definite
factors that influence a teacher’s decision about which
school to work for, regardless of their prior experience
or professional status. Andreas Schleicher, head of
education at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development, for example, identifies “status, pay
and professional autonomy” as the essential ingredients
needed to attract and keep the best teachers.
However, I am inclined to disagree with one aspect of
his assertion as, money means different things to different
people. Yes, it is part of the decision-making mix but it’s
not as important as many commentators believe. Nor is
it an indicator of work happiness: giving people more
doesn’t necessarily make them happier or improve their
performance.
Recently, I found a quote from Steve Jobs that struck a
chord. He said: “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do
what you believe to be great work. And the only way to
do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found
it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the
heart, you will know when you find it.” That is an ethos
that I believe most, if not all, teachers should live by.
Live well
According to Novella Bottini, an econometrician at
thinktank the Legatum Institute, which commissioned a
report on wellbeing and policy in 2014, there are four key
features that affect people’s happiness at work: support
and recognition, a clear idea of what is expected of them,
reasonable freedom over how they do the work and
having a good work-life balance.
Dale Cox, director at Shekou International School in
“ It is rare for a teacher to start
their research by considering
the everyday environment.”

2. 12 British International Schools • March 2015
recruitment
China, agrees with this in his recent PhD thesis, A Global
Study of International Teacher Recruitment. His research
points to seven general categories of reasoning that
teachers use when selecting a new school. By far the most
frequently mentioned is the relationship with the school
leader, with variables in this category including how
autonomous the individual would be over work and the
classroom, recognition of good work, how much influence
they would have over school policy and how manageable
the workload would be.
The school leader appears to be fundamental to a
school’s chances of success in the recruitment of staff.
Steve Mancuso, high school principal at the American
Community School in Jordan, even goes so far as to argue
that the importance of this relationship will likely increase
for teachers with greater experience or who have already
worked overseas.
Cox’s categories also include external work conditions,
professional satisfaction, personal wellbeing, professional
growth, compensation and career advancement.
According to Cox, his seven main factors accounted for
64 per cent of the reasons given by teachers searching
for a new role.
The International Schools Review website outlines
a Teachers’ Charter that it believes all international
schools should adhere to in order to attract education
professionals. The charter includes the right to accurate
information, ethical contractual practice and to work
in a safe, supportive environment. Comments on the
site also confirm the importance of a strong supportive
Simon Dweck is head of
international school services at
Capita Education Resourcing.
headteacher as well as the other factors mentioned in
Cox’s research.
Clearly, then, there are numerous elements that play
a part in defining a teacher’s happiness in their role; from
the relationship with the school leader to access to career
advancement.
Such factors are worth bearing in mind for future
recruitment. Market indicators from suggest that by 2024
international schools will need to recruit 750,000 teachers.
As roughly half of these are British schools, this means
that there will be around 350,000 British-trained teachers
needed within the next 10 years if these institutions
continue to subscribe to the view that these schools must
have British-trained teachers.
This is a number that the existing talent pool will
simply not be able to generate, especially if national
teacher training trends continue to be in deficit.
Even if hiring activity is adapted to appeal to what
teachers want, the real issue in the long term lies in how
recruitment will change to address the looming teacher
shortage. Will there be more
internal training developed or will
schools need to look elsewhere
for talent? But that’s a topic for
another day.
How do you attract teachers to your school?