A £100,000 boost to a pioneering project sending school leaders on mini ‘gap-years’ in Africa, was announced today by Schools Minister Andrew Adonis.
The extension to the International Extended Placements scheme, funded by the National College of School Leadership (NCSL), will place 14 headteachers, deputy and assistant heads in schools in Ghana, Nigeria, Namibia and Rwanda, for three months from January 2009.
The scheme, run by international development charity VSO, strengthens heads and senior staff’s professional skills, while improving the effectiveness of the African schools and the lives of the children there.
But it also aims to give pupils at their own home schools greater understanding of the wider world and a broader curriculum.
The scheme is open to headteachers, deputy or assistant heads, with at least seven years management experience, who are members of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL).
A pilot scheme placed eight heads and deputies in schools for 12 weeks in Rwanda and Namibia in 2007 and a second group of six school leaders went to Africa earlier this year.
An independent evaluation of the pilot by the Institute of Policy Studies found the scheme to be beneficial not only to the volunteers but to other colleagues back in the UK, and to their schools. A further study by the University of Southampton in 2007 showed that UK teachers who volunteered overseas had found their leadership experience overwhelmingly positive. The great majority had returned to UK education, taking on leadership roles and wider responsibilities.
Schools Minister Andrew Adonis said:
“This is a fantastic scheme and an opportunity of a lifetime for heads and senior staff with the right drive and determination. School leaders are at the heart of driving up standards in our schools and it makes perfect sense to invest in their skills - not only to enthuse their fellow staff and give young people at their own schools high-quality education but improve the lives of children and teachers in Africa.”
Director of VSO UK Judith Brodie said:
"There are so many benefits for schools taking part in International Extended Placements. Not only will the school leader learn about and contribute to an African education system whilst living and working in another country, their colleagues in the UK also benefit from the opportunity to act up and gain valuable leadership skills. Ultimately children in Africa and the UK benefit from the knowledge the volunteers can bring to improve the quality of their education, and make the global dimension in school come to life. We welcome the grant from the NCSL which will give more schools the opportunity to be part of this scheme."
NCSL Chief Executive Steve Munby said:
“This is very much a win-win situation for everyone. Our school leaders boost their professional and personal development while at the same time taking our homegrown expertise over to Africa helping improve the lives of children in developing countries. When they return refreshed they have an added drive and determination and bring a fresh perspective to their schools. While they are away, aspiring school leaders have the opportunity to step into their shoes and experience a taste of leadership. I'm delighted that NCSL, NAHT, ASCL and DCSF are working in partnership with VSO to ensure we can send over a group of school leaders early next year.”
Beverley Mann, Deputy Head of Goddard Park Community Primary School in Swindon taught in Rwanda. She said:
“I feel not only reinvigorated myself, but believe I have made a difference to the Primary School I worked with in Rwanda. I was humbled by post-genocide communities placing education at the centre of their development. I've returned to my school with a clear vision of how our children can improve their attainment through deeper international links, exploring sustainability issues, and working towards the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award.”
Deputy General Secretary of ASCL, Martin Ward, said.
"ASCL is very pleased to be part of this excellent project. Secondment of school and college leaders to Africa to work with their opposite numbers there will be of immense value to both sides of each pairing. Past experience of such links is that partnership between institutions in Britain and Africa will in each case go on for long after the period of the visit, helping and touching the lives of many young people both there and here."
ENDS
Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
- VSO provides all volunteers with a local living allowance, training, flights, accommodation, insurance and visas.
- Enriching Education, an independent report by the University of Southampton, can be downloaded from the VSO website: http://vso.org.uk/resources/enriching-education.asp
- The pilot of the International Extended Placements Scheme was evaluated by London Metropolitan University, commissioned by the Institute for Policy Studies: http://vso.org.uk/Images/VSO-NAHT-evaluation-report_tcm8-11965.pdf.
- The National College for School Leadership offers opportunities to develop the potential of school leaders at every level and to enable their schools to work collaboratively with other schools. For more information on NCSL visit our web site at www.ncsl.org.uk or phone 0845 609 0009