Around 100 volunteers to help out in schools this year
Around 100 people from different walks of life will start teaching classes as volunteers this year. The Ministry of Education and Research describes the help as very welcome as the Noored Kooli young teachers program helps alleviate shortage of teachers, while NGO Edumus works to broader students' horizons.
Diplomat Mari Luist will be teaching a class on intercultural communication in English at the Tabasalu High School, "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.
"I knew it was something for me as soon as I saw the curriculum. I have dreamed about trying my hand at teaching for a while and want to give back to the community," Luist said.
Edumus will be sending 45 volunteer teachers to schools as things stand but wants to boost that number to 100. Some 350 specialists with higher education have agreed to teach in schools through the NGO.
Founder and executive manager of Edumus Maria Rahamägi said that another 290 people are waiting for a school that would allow them to teach. "Therefore, we are busiest talking to heads of schools right now. Most people want to teach economics and enterprise. This is what people have the most experience with, while we also need people to teach sciences and want to bring to schools niche subjects that they've perhaps lacked before," Rahamägi said.
The Noored Kooli initiative the study program of which spans two years will be sending a record 41 young teachers to schools this year.
Head of recruiting at Noored Kooli Margot Lillemägi said that teachers will be going to very different schools all over Estonia. "We have people going to nine counties and places like Antsla, Olustvere and Sinimäe right down to major Tallinn schools. We have half-and-half of sciences and other subjects. Five people will be teaching mathematics and two physics. We also have a lot of history and language teachers, as well as class teachers," Lillemägi said.
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education and Research Kristi Vinter-Nemvalts said that both programs contribute greatly to education, while they need to be seen separately.
"People coming to school through Edumus will be adding a business perspective or a different sector perspective. They are there to broader students' horizons," Vinter-Nemvalts said.
Experience from the Noored Kooli program allows future teachers to work full-time and cope in their work.
"It is very common for people who have joined the program to also go through teacher training, and we have quite a few examples of the Noored Kooli program yielding new and innovative heads of schools," the undersecretary added.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski
