The Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol: Its Impacts and Implications for the Global Teaching Profession

Abstract

This article discusses the development and implementation of the Commonwealth Teacher Recruitment Protocol, which was adopted in September 2004. Following a review of the contextual issues of international teacher migration, the challenges of teacher recruitment are discussed. Key features of the Protocol are highlighted and discussed with regard to the current task of implementation. A comparison is made between recruitment before and after the adoption of the Protocol, focusing on the United Kingdom. In conclusion, the article highlights challenges and opportunities for Protocol implementation and areas for further research.

Migrant Teachers Filling the Gap

“…Matimba (2015) drew attention to migrant teachers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States who can apply for QTS without having to study towards it, this despite SA migrant teachers being the largest number of immigrant teachers in the UK in the early 2000s (before 2008 and the end of the youth mobility scheme). Miller, Mulvaney and Ochs (2007) present statistics that between July 2001 and July 2004, recruited teachers to England in descending order of quantity recruited were as follows: South Africa (6,722), Australia (4,484), New Zealand (2,515), Jamaica (1,671) and Canada (1,591). Shajimon, Bartley and Beddoe (2019) strongly argue that the discrimination is evident that there is preferential treatment in the recognition mechanism which favours migrant teachers from particular countries.…”

“…Recruitment agencies working on behalf of schools presented highly profitable packages to teachers to fulfil the labour needs in British schools (primary and secondary) (Manik 2005;de Villers 2007). It is documented that SA teachers were the highest number of foreign teachers in the UK (Miller, Mulvaney and Ochs 2007 and cherished by UK principals for their work ethic and commitment to quality teaching. In 2008, UK immigration legislation changed marking an end to the youth mobility scheme and only South Africans with British ancestry could be recruited to teach abroad.…”