Teaching in Asia

 

Information for overseas trained teachers about teaching in Asia

Teaching in Asia can be very different from country to country as school curriculum can vary depending on the place and type of school. So if you are seriously considering teaching in Asia it would help significantly knowing where your strengths lie and what type of experiences you want from living and working in Asia.

International schools

• International schools serve many nationalities from all around the world and can be found in areas where there are large arrivals of foreigners. Teaching in these types of schools often require at least 2-3 years experience of solid teaching as you will be teaching a new internationalised curriculum and dealing with children who have different language and cultural needs.

 

Expatriate schools

• These are schools serving English students predominantly British or American kids. Overseas teachers can usually get great employment packages with these types of international schools. However they are very particular about their teachers and you are usually required to have at least 3 years teaching experience.

 

Local international schools

• These are internationally minded schools that serve the wealthy local population. These are usually local children that will attend university after school in America, UK or Australia for example. These schools are located all over Asia and can be found using the international curriculum. Teachers wanting to teach at these schools need to be flexible, open-minded and very confident as you are found experiencing the local culture, festivals, people and real life in Asia. 

 

Bilingual schools

• These are schools whose curriculum is of the host country but with a combination of both international and local curricula, similar to that of local international schools. Once again an advantage of this is you are able to experience the culture and lifestyle in Asia at its best.

The average key stages of education in Asia are; 

Note: This may be slightly different depending on your chosen country

Pre-school	Not compulsory, aid based programs in rural communities are provided by the government Normally only wealthy families can afford to send their children to private pre-schools Religious schools also provide preschool facilities Residential buildings have been converted and used for pre-schools as no qualifications are required to start a pre-school
6-12 years old	Year 1 to Year 6 also known as Standard 1 to Standard 6	Level One - Year 1 to Year 3 Level Two – Year 4 to Year 6
Secondary education
13-18 years old	Composed of 5 years of schooling known as Form 1 to Form 5 Public secondary schools are extensions of the national schools Students can take up Form 6 or the matriculation program after an administrated test leading to further education