Over the past decade, the demand for accomplished and certified special education teachers has amplified. The major reason behind this growth is NOT due the numbers of growing special kids, BUT the gradually happening awareness. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for skilled special education teachers is expected to grow by 8% by 2026. This means that schools and educational institutes are eager to fill those vacancies.
Apart from the demand, a career in special education is rewarding as well where you help students’ lives every day. Teaching special educational children needs a lot of flexibility, creative thinking and awareness. Even though the basic similarities of the job will be the same wherever you go, yet doing it in a different country is not an easy task.
Where can you teach special education abroad?
Here’s a list of some of the world’s most popular international special education teaching destinations:
The UAE
Numerous schools of the UAE have been acclaimed for their inclusivity along with the facilities, especially in early years education. Saudi Arabia is currently looking for skilled and certified special education teachers, a Degree in Special Education with excellent command of both written and spoken English is generally the basic criteria for applying. In the UAE, schools are essential by law to accept special needs students, so there is a decent demand for certified special education teachers here.
Kuwait
Certainly, Kuwait might not come to your mind as a destination for teaching in a foreign country. Kuwait and the wider Gulf have some of the youngest populations in the world. The fact is in recent years, the country has made a vast effort to advance its special education necessities with a ton of job opportunities as well.
Japan
Special educational needs institutes are popping up around Japan in rapid sequence. The special needs education in Japan may take place in a specific school or schoolroom, sometimes a mainstream classroom or a combination of both. Even there are plans to open 36 more special-needs schools in Tokyo along with 18 prefectures are underway.
China
China categorizes special needs in a different way than in other nations of the world. Few educational institutions deliver the assistance to special needs learners. Generally, students with special needs are being separated from distinctive classrooms and placed in special education schools. The awareness for the need for special education is growing in China and there is an increasing number of jobs in the sector for those with online TEFL diplomas.
European Countries
All over the European countries, enrollment of learners with special educational needs (SEN) in regular classrooms is growing. Finland has built an inclusive education structure planned to offer people free education with no dead ends. If you’re considering a teaching career in special education, you may try your luck in European countries as well.
United States
According to the reports and studies, the special education teacher job market in the USA is projected to grow by 7.4% between 2016 and 2026. The reason behind this is the government legislation and educational restructurings focused on training and employment of people with special needs. Additionally, the demand for special education teachers is expected to be advanced in rural areas and inner cities than in urban centres.
The Major Differences
Usually, SEN teachers’ responsibilities differ according to where they work and the requirements of their students. Moreover, it can vary even more when working abroad as there may be totally different education systems in place. Not all countries share the same attitude towards special needs even though there are learners with special needs all over the world. Till now, in some places, their education needs are hardly addressed.
Parents may have different opinions and training than you do, learners may not be gathered in the way you expect. It may be cohesive into the mainstream classroom or entirely separate from conventional education. Some school settings will have all of the special education support systems while some others may have barely any.
How to become a special education teacher?
Generally, a bachelor’s degree in special education is the minimum requirement but it depends on the requirements in your state. In some states, only an accredited special education degree meets the requirements for a teaching license. Most states also necessitate candidates to pass certain specialized exams with a background check. Some SEN programs allow you to specialize in teaching children with autism or behavior and speech difficulties as well. You can look at a master’s in special education to upraise your job prospects. Pursuing an advanced degree in special education will also provide you with the practical tools to be a better SEN teacher.
Teaching special education in an international school is a wonderful choice for special educators who want to work in a foreign country. For this, you need to be fully qualified with the special child teaching course program.
There is a global shortage of skilled and certified special education teachers and it is a longstanding issue. Furthermore, the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the situation greatly. This needs to be addressed, even parents and caretakers also need to possess certain awareness about the special education for the early intervention. Each and every child deserves to get a quality education and for that, awareness is necessary.
