Have you ever wondered what it would be like to teach abroad? The notion is very tempting. But perhaps you’ve not wanted to risk a cool career at home to take up an offer somewhere hot and exotic?
Well now you may not have to make this difficult choice, with Scotland’s leading independent schools making moves to open facilities overseas.
Among them is Merchiston Castle in Edinburgh, which later this year will open the doors to a new international school in Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta.
Shenzhen is one of the fastest-growing and vibrant cities in China. It is also a centre for hi-tech industries and the high number of young professionals relocating there has created a demand for a new style of education that takes the best from both Scottish and Chinese systems.
The opening of schools such as these now provides the opportunity for teachers here to relocate for several years, while retaining the option to return to their original positions.
And Merchiston Castle and Scotland’s educational institutions already established abroad are just the tip of the iceberg.
Many schools have ambitious plans to extend their brands by opening a network of associated schools in locations all across the globe.
This means, if you’re one of the many language teachers who turns to s1jobs when you want to make a career move, you may be already aware that you’re perfectly placed to take advantage of this overseas expansion.
Mandarin may be the top choice but, as the growth in Scotland’s educational brands continues, a fluency in Spanish – which is predicted to overtake English as the most-spoken tongue in the United States – and other languages will be increasingly in demand.
But it’s not only language teachers who are set to benefit.
Teachers of all disciplines are poised to have new opportunities opened up as this trend continues.
So how do you fancy a spell showing off your skills in Shenzhen or making your mark in South America?
Spending two or three years in the most exciting countries in the world wouldn’t just be a fascinating experience, it would also be a bright gold star for your CV.
So don’t limit your horizons. Use s1jobs to keep close tabs on what’s opening where and you could soon be heading off for the teaching experience of a lifetime.
For all of the latest teaching vacancies, home and away, visit s1jobs.