Primary teacher and Educationist:

VSO Teacher volunteers work in countries as diverse as Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Malawi, The Maldives, Nigeria, Tanzania and Vietnam.

As a volunteer you will play a vital part in the attempt to raise standards of education for all. In Sub-Saharan Africa and in parts of Asia the overall literacy rate is decreasing. This is due to lack of skilled teachers, poor curricula and limited educational resources. You’ll improve standards of primary teaching by lecturing trainees in practical teaching methodologies.

Your role could be to work in collaboration with colleagues, planning and delivering courses in Principles and Methods of teaching; Micro Teaching; Philosophy of Primary and Pre-Primary Education. Or ensuring that the above courses are delivered more practically and more effectively. You may be running workshops to train colleagues in practical teaching methods or participating in teaching practise supervision to become more familiar with the reality of teaching in the developing countries.

Volunteer Sample Role1: Ghana

Volunteer Sample Role 2: Cambodia

Volunteer Sample Role 3: Malawi

Volunteer Sample Role 4: Ethiopia

Volunteer profile

You should be a qualified primary teacher with at least 4 years’ classroom experience. You should have a B.Ed. Degree or Nursery/Montessori Training from a reputed Organisation or a Special educator registered with RCI.

Training and facilitation skills are desirable but not essential.

All VSO volunteers need to be motivated, realistic, flexible and adaptable, and this role is no exception! You’ll also need strong interpersonal skills to ensure that you work effectively alongside your colleagues in a mutually supportive team environment. A sense of humour is vital!