Annual Report 2023 Entire Book - Flipbook - Page 53
Visiting Spanish Teacher Scheme
9 post-primary schools applied
Action 1.D.1
3 Teachers placed
Overview:
The Visiting Spanish Teacher Scheme is an agreement between the Department of Education in Ireland and
the Ministry of Education and Culture in Spain. The programme has been running successfully in other
jurisdictions for many years. The academic year 2023-2024 is the third year that the programme has been
running in Ireland.
Main Aims:
•
Address the shortage of qualified Spanish teachers in Ireland
•
Support the curriculum in Irish schools by filling vacant Spanish teaching positions with highly qualified
Spanish educators
•
Give students in Irish post-primary schools the opportunity to interact and communicate with, and
understand people from other cultures
•
Support schools in developing relationships and exchanges with the visiting teachers’ schools in Spain
Activity:
PPLI collaborated with the Department of Education and the Consejería de Educación in the selection
process for teachers and schools. Schools interviewed candidates from the shortlist and appointed the
candidate that matched their selection criteria. PPLI delivered an induction program to the teachers and
supported them with the required paperwork. In addition, PPLI supports the visiting teachers during the
academic year in their hosting schools.
The current accommodation crisis made it very challenging for teachers to secure a place to live which
resulted in not all selected candidates being able to participate in the programme.
Impact:
The feedback from schools has been very positive and we expect interest in the programme to continue. One
teacher is continuing in her post for the 2023-2024 academic year because of the positive impact she has had
in the school.
Next Steps:
•
Continue to support delivery of the programme for the 2024-2025 academic year as per new agreement
to extend the life of the programme
•
Place up to 10 teachers in schools
•
Carry out visits to schools to gather the views of school management teams and visiting teachers
participating in the programme
•
Showcase successful participation in the programme using video examples in order to increase future
uptake
- PPLI ANNUAL REPORT 2023 -
53
