Council’s recruitment from Ireland and Canada backed

SCOTLAND’S LARGEST teaching union has backed a Scottish council’s move to recruit teachers from Ireland and Canada.

EIS yesterday gave its support to Aberdeenshire Council’s recruitment drive in Dublin and Toronto, stating it was an opportunity for foreign teachers to “bring their talents into Scottish classrooms for the benefit of pupils”.

Council off icials interviewed more than 30 Irish and Canadian probationer teachers in their own countries this month for posts in Aberdeenshire to address shortages in the area.

Successful applicants will receive a full induction and conversion to Scottish education standards, a temporary work visa, accommodation and travel costs at a cost of around £5,000 per teacher.

The countries were chosen because of their high levels of surplus probationer and first year teachers.

Councillor Isobel Davidson, chairwoman of the council’s education learning and leisure committee, said the council had struggled to fill teaching positions.

She said: “At the moment, we have around 40 teaching vacancies and, despite our very best efforts, we are continuing to struggle to fill these posts.

“We are confident that this innovative approach will stimulate significant interest and help relieve the current pressures on our teaching staff.

“We know we have a lot to offer potential candidates — a teaching job in one of our many primary schools or academies, a first year of teaching experience, an excellent quality of life and a very warm welcome from our communities.”

An interview panel travelled first to Dublin and then Toronto to undertake the interviews.

Successful candidates are expected to travel to Scotland in August to take up their positions in schools across Aberdeen shire ready for starting work early in the new school term.

They will be allocated a teaching role in either a primary or secondary school and after a year of employment will have the opportunity for a fulltime job, subject to visa requirements.

An EIS spokesman said: “There has always been a certain degree of teacher migration, both inwards and outwards.

“This allows Scottish trained teachers to seek work outside Scotland and offers opportunities for teachers trained in other countries to bring their talents into Scottish classrooms for the benefit of pupils.”

Studies undertaken in Ontario reveal the extent of the teacher surplus in Canada, with almost one in three newly qualified teachers failing to secure employment.

The EIS spokesman said: “Teacher shortages can best be avoided by sound workforce planning procedures, identifying potential vacancies early and advertising jobs widely to ensure that all interested teachers have the opportunity to apply.”