Dr Rory Mc Daid joins panel at European Education Leadership Week

Marino Institute of Education, Dr Rory Mc Daid discusses global barriers at European Education Leadership Week, coordinated by the Educational Leadership Network Europe (ELNE) 

On Wednesday, Dr Rory Mc Daid, with colleagues from the University of Vienna, Prof Michelle Proyer, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Prof Henrike Terhart and the SIRIUS Network, Sara Sow Linares presented a webinar on internationally educated teachers. The webinar included in the European Education Leadership Week, coordinated by the Educational Leadership Network Europe (ELNE).

The ELNE promotes cooperation, development, and implementation of EU policy at different governance levels and supports the European Commission’s policy work on teachers and school leaders in the context of the European Education Area. This aligns well with the ongoing work of the SIRIUS Network on the integration of internationally educated teachers across Europe, with a key focus on how this might be activated at the level of the European Union, rather than solely on a national basis. The week was organised under the overarching theme of “Transforming Schools into Learning Communities” and included 30 dynamic webinars on a wide-range of education topics.

In their webinar, Dr Mc Daid and colleagues presented a brief overview of the relevant national contexts from Ireland, Austria and Germany before progressing to discuss some of the barriers that internationally educated face as they attempt to reignite their careers following a move to another country, either for economic reasons or as a result of forced migration. Reflecting on the importance of stakeholders in supporting the integration of internationally educated teachers, Dr Mc Daid highlighted the contribution to of a range of stakeholders to MIE’s Migrant Teacher Project; these include the teacher unions, the NCCA, education centres, managerial bodies and school principals. Data on the impact of this work on the lives of some teachers were presented. Further material was presented on the learnings from school placement components of similar projects in Austria and Germany. The webinar concluded with a contribution from Agnes Roman, Senior Policy Coordinator with the European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE).

If you would like to know more about the work of the Migrant Teacher Project, please see Migrant Teacher Project.

If you would like to explore issues related to integration in Irish schools more generally, please take a look at our Masters in Education Studies (Intercultural Learning and Leadership), which is an innovative and unique course for educators who want to engage with the opportunities and challenges of teaching in a diverse and globalised world.

 The Masters in Education Studies (Intercultural Learning and Leadership) aims to equip participants with the threshold academic knowledge of educational leadership, in the context of critical examination of race, language diversity, and religious diversity. Through engaging in this Masters, participants will be prepared to take on leadership roles in their settings, bringing the skills of a critical intercultural educator to enable all learners to achieve their potential.