More Canadian teachers are looking at UAE

The Indian, International Baccalaureate, American and the British curriculum are well established in the UAE but Canadian curriculum, which is relatively a newer offering in the country, is also fast becoming more popular with the opening of new schools.

Giving a further push to the educational diversity in the UAE and the GCC region, a new school following the curriculum, The Canadian International School in Dubai, is expected to open its doors to students in time for the September 2015 intake.

Besides the schools, an increased number of Canadian-qualified teaching professionals are also moving to the UAE, as the demand for teachers soars in the country.

According to Eteach International, an online education recruitment service, there has been a threefold rise in applications to its online job board from Canadian teachers looking for Gulf postings.

This means good news for UAE schools, as according to the Centre for International Education Bench marketing, Canadian teachers are often highly educated, with the majority of prospective teachers drawn from the top 30 per cent of their college cohorts.

“Within the wider GCC region, the UAE offers the largest number of Canadian schools, however Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Oman all have dedicated schools offering the Canadian system,” says Jonathan Price, Managing Director for Eteach International.

“With more Canadians opting to make the move overseas, combined with a large percentage of parents in the region having looked to Canada to educate their children in the past, the need for this curriculum is rapidly increasing.”

Teachers from Canada are also making inroads to other curriculum schools as there is a shortage of UK-trained staff due to a decline in the number of new graduates.

“Canadian teachers can re-certify for the British curriculum, which means that they have a broader choice of teaching options available to them. We know of at least 11 Canadian schools in the region and that number is set to expand before the end of the year,” adds Price.

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