Making it easier for
teachers to volunteer overseas and bring lessons home - £13 million
boost to pensions benefits for public sector volunteers -
DEPARTMENT FOR
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES News Release (2008/0051) issued by
The Government News Network on 15 March 2008
Teachers and other
public servants who take a career development break to volunteer
overseas stand to benefit from £13 million in new pension
benefits, the Government announced today (Saturday 15th March) on
the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the VSO.
Public service workers who volunteer with the Voluntary Service
Overseas (VSO) and similar organisations to work in developing
countries currently do not get pension contributions paid. Under a
three year pilot scheme the Government will fund these gaps
without cost to the individual employer or employee.
About 350 UK public servants, including doctors, nurses and local
government workers, take up such assignments each year and the
fund is enough to cover pension contributions for more than double
this number to get involved in volunteering abroad which can help
reduce global poverty, and enrich UK public services on their return.
Currently around 180 UK teachers are taking this kind of career
break. Teacher unions are highly supportive of the experience
because it builds teachers' careers, helps establish global
partnerships, takes expertise to developing countries and brings
new skills back into UK education.
The announcement forms part of the Government's response to
Lord Crisp's report Global Health Partnerships on boosting
links between the UK and developing countries. The report
highlights that: '...education, empowerment and helping
people have more control over their lives and environment have
profound and lasting effects'.
Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, said:
"I congratulate VSO on 50 rewarding years of taking
practical professional help to some of the most difficult
environments in the world. Teachers who volunteer bring back
vital skills which feed back into UK education. The testimony of
teachers themselves suggests they have learned creative new
approaches, particularly to working with pupils from diverse and
challenging backgrounds. They get management and leadership
opportunities overseas that allow them to re-enter UK education
with renewed focus or at a higher level.
"Ensuring that pension contributions are paid, at no cost to
the school, local authority or individual teacher, will encourage
more sabbaticals and career development breaks. This is in line
with our recent support for international placements in Africa for
UK school leaders, in partnership with the National Association of
Head Teachers and VSO.
"My Department has made a substantial contribution to the
new £13 million pensions fund, which is also supported by the
departments of Health and International Development, and we hope
to encourage more public servants into overseas volunteering."
Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, speaking
today at VSO's 50th anniversary celebrations, said:
"Volunteering plays a valuable part in our society, not just
in helping to reduce global poverty, but in the wealth of
experience volunteers will bring back to the UK and into public
service. That VSO is celebrating its 50th anniversary is a
testament to the strength and importance of volunteering in our society."
NOTES TO EDITORS
The fund will be available to volunteers leaving the UK between
April 2008 and March 2011 for periods of volunteering of between 7
- 24 months with VSO, Progressio, Student Partnership Worldwide,
Skillshare or International Service. When they return to the UK
and public service employment, they will receive pension benefits
covering the absence based on their departing salary. No cost will
fall to the employer or individual.
The scheme is open to any member of a UK public sector pension
scheme, including NHS workers, teachers, civil servants, the armed
services, local government services, the judiciary and parliamentarians.
Douglas Alexander, International Development Secretary, is
speaking at the Royal Festival Hall on Saturday 15 March at
VSO's 50th anniversary event.
Lord Crisp was commissioned by the then Prime Minister, Tony
Blair, to make recommendations to improve the links between health
services and professionals in the UK and developing countries.
Lord Crisp's report was published in February 2007, with 14
recommendations. Copies of the report can be found at http://www.dh.gov.uk
Facts and figures about the benefits of volunteering:
A 2006 report by Petra Cook and Nicky Jackson - Valuing
Volunteering - showed that:
* 80% of returned volunteers felt their confidence in their own
abilities had increased through doing a VSO placement. The same
proportion believed they had gained skills they would not have
acquired if they had stayed in the UK.
* 94% of employers believe that volunteering broadens skills and experiences
* 70% of employers believe that volunteers are more capable of
handling diversity
* 67% of employers agreed that the returned volunteers they had
employed brought different skills and experiences to the
organisation in comparison with other employees
* 100 returned VSO business and management volunteers felt that
they had developed skills including working with different
cultures (92%), communication (74%), problem solving (57%) and
influencing and persuading (46%).
Volunteer available for media interviews:
Keith Mellor (38) volunteered in the Maldives for two years until
December 2007. He was one of several primary teachers from the UK
working as a Primary Teacher Outreach Adviser.
Contact VSO's Abigail Fulbrook at VSO to arrange:
020
8780 7410 / 07790 628733 abigail.fulbrook@vso.org.uk
Here's one case study of a very recent VSO teacher, Keith
Mellor - he's happy to talk to the media today, Friday after
11am, or anytime next week would be ideal.
VSO is working with the Maldives' Ministry of Education to
improve the quality of primary education for 10,000 students,
including those with special needs. Keith Mellor (38) volunteered
in the Maldives for two years until December 2007. He was one of
several primary teachers from the UK working as a Primary Teacher
Outreach Adviser.
'I worked with primary teachers and supervisors/head
teachers,' says Keith. 'If I'm lucky the local
teachers have had some basic training, but in some of the really
small schools, many of the teachers are unqualified and some have
only just left school themselves. Supervisors generally have an
administrative role here and it was our job to help them become
more aware of their responsibilities and to develop sustainable
systems to help them manage schools more effectively.'
Keith observed a real shift in the attitude and approach of the
teaching staff. 'After my workshops on displays, many more
teachers are taking the time to celebrate the achievements of
children by making class displays,' says Keith. He noticed
that the children are motivated by these and are taking more pride
in their work. 'Lessons are more dynamic with the pupils
taking a more active role in their learning. Maldivian teachers
are becoming come empowered to try new ideas and to take
responsibility for what they teach, rather than just following workbooks'.
The impact of Keith's work isn't just confined to the
classroom. He described the change in one of the supervisors
he's been working with: 'Before, she would wait to be
told what to do by the principal. But after working with me, her
confidence has grown and she now takes much more responsibility.
She even tells the principal what she wants to do!'
Keith is back in Cheshire working in supply teaching now, he is
refreshed and much more appreciative of the many resources schools
in the UK have.
Enriching Education', an evaluation of the benefits to UK
education of returned teacher volunteers: http://www.vso.org.uk/resources/enriching-education.asp.
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