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Oct 14, 2007

There are a variety of career choices in the field of education ranging from becoming a teacher to becoming an educational planner.

Category: postSecondary

Posted by: webmaster

Careers in Education

There are a variety of career choices in the field of education ranging from becoming a teacher to becoming an educational planner.  An education system, public or private, of a country requires teachers to teach in classrooms, school administrators to manage schools, policy makers to develop and implement new government programs and initiatives, and a variety of other individuals to maintain education systems around the world. Globalization has led to new players in education such as international organizations, non-governmental organizations and the private sector that are engaging in the education field.  Increasingly we are witnessing educational professionals lending their expertise and services to education institutions/governments within Canada as well as abroad.

Following are select careers in the field of education:

Teaching:

The teaching profession includes those who teach in public or private schools. More specifically, it refers to those individuals who obtain a certificate of qualification (also called a teaching license) given by a state or a provincial authority that enables them to be employed as teachers in elementary, middle or secondary schools. With extensive teaching experience, teachers can also choose to become teacher educators in continuing education programs. These programs offer additional qualifications in subject area expertise for teachers by their provincial teaching profession regulatory body as well as by various community colleges and school boards. In addition, with several years of teaching experience, teachers can also work as curriculum specialists, assessment and evaluation specialists with government ministries/departments or school boards.

To be a teacher in Canada, you need to have at least a three-year Bachelor’s degree from an acceptable postsecondary institution with the completion of an additional year of a teacher education program (Bachelor of Education - B. Ed.), and a certificate of qualification (teaching license) from the provincial authority regulating teaching profession in your province in Canada.

Education Policy:

Education policy researchers/analysts/consultants conduct research, analysis and develop policies related to elementary, secondary and post-secondary education systems. They can be employed by local ministries of education, school boards, international and non-governmental organizations, education research institutes and think tanks. Educational policy analysts are needed to develop new priorities and planning of mass systems of education around the world. Their services are also needed by non-profit as well as private organizations working to build global communities through introducing new education initiatives in schools in developing countries.

There are many paths to becoming an education policy analyst/researcher in Canada or abroad. Many educational policy analysts attain a Bachelor’s degree in education, a teaching license, and several years of school teaching experience at the elementary, middle and/ or secondary level. Others may not be professional teachers but may enter the education sector through other professional interests or by pursuing a graduate degree in education such as a Master of Arts in Education (MA, Education) or a Masters in Education (M Ed.) and/or a doctoral degree such as a Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD., Education) or a Doctor in Education (Ed.D.).

Education Administration:

Education administrators provide educational leadership to various education institutions including elementary, middle or secondary schools, and post-secondary institutions. In school systems, education administration personnel include principals, vice-principals, superintendents, and assistant superintendents.

Principals are the heads of elementary, middle, or secondary schools. Their job is to ensure the smooth running of schools. Their work involves overseeing various aspects of school management including curriculum and instruction, business and community relations, staff (teachers and service staff) supervision, and fund raising. A vice-principal assists the principal in daily management of elementary, middle or secondary schools. In the absence of a principal, a vice-principal assumes the position of acting principal.  To become a principal or vice-principal you need to in most provinces in Canada, you require a three-year bachelor degree from an acceptable post-secondary institution with an additional one year of teacher education program (Bachelor of Education - B. Ed.), preferably 5 to 6 years of school teaching experience, a valid teaching license and a principal/vice-principal qualification from a provincial authority regulating the teaching profession; and a graduate degree (masters) in a subject of your choice.

In a public school system, schools are organized into districts. A superintendent looks after the administration and provides leadership to schools in a district. He/she ensures that government polices and procedures are implemented in schools within their district. Assistant superintendents provide support to superintendents in the administration of schools within their district. They may be expected to achieve goals set by superintendents and schools boards within the administration of the board.  To be a superintendent/assistant superintendent in Canada you need at least 7 to 8 years of school teaching experience and a superintendent/assistant superintendent qualification from the local provincial authority regulating the teaching profession. 

Education administration also extends to post-secondary education institutions. Universities and colleges are complex institutions with multiple units (e.g., student services, athletic services, registrar’s office, office/school of graduate studies, etc.) serving various functions. In a post-secondary institution, education administrators contribute to the collective goal of an institution by providing leadership to these units. Many start off with a simple administrative job and a Bachelor’s degree in the field of their choice. However, pursuing a graduate degree with specialization in higher education can be beneficial.

International Educator/International Education Specialist:

The term international educator refers to those teachers and professors, who pursue teaching, research and administrative opportunities in educational institutions located overseas. 

Teachers can choose either to teach in their subject area expertise or teach English as a second language (TESL) in countries where English is not the first language. Working as a teacher in other countries can be a very enriching experience.

An international education specialist refers to policy experts, educational planners, administrators and/or academics working in the field of education around the world.  They are heavily involved in international projects and fieldwork. Their work may include working with an international organization (e.g., AKDN, CIDA, World Bank) on educational issues, advising ministries of education to develop new education initiatives or to address existing educational issues, developing worldwide education related corporate citizenship programs for private corporations and conducting research for public and private institutions such as a cross-country study of education systems or research on issues related to education and international development.

Select Universities Offering Programs in the Field of Education

1. Boston College (The Lynch School of Education)
   
2. Columbia University (Teachers College)
   
3. Harvard University (Graduate School of Education)
   
4. McGill University (Faculty of Education)
   
5. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto
   
6. Simon Fraser University (Faculty of Education)
   
7. Stanford University (School of Education)
   
8. University of Alberta (Faculty of Education)
   
9. University of British Columbia (Faculty of Education)
10. University of Calgary (Faculty of Education)
11. University of London (Institute of Education)
12. University of Oxford (Department of Educational Studies)
13. University of Western Ontario (Faculty of Education)

Select Professional Associations in the field of Education

1. American Education Research Association
2. British Columbia College of Teachers
3. British Columbia School Superintendents Association
4. Canadian Association for the Study of Educational Administration (A constituent association of the Canadian Society for the Study of Education)
5. Canadian Association of Principals
6. Canadian Bureau for International Education
7. Canadian Society for the Study of Education
8. College of Alberta School Superintendent
9. Comparative and International Education Society (United States)
10. Comparative and International Society of Canada
11. http://www.ieac.ca/
12. Ontario College of Teachers

Additional Resources

Applytoteach.ca - Linking Teachers With Employers

Aga Khan Academies

Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN)

Aga Khan Education Services (AKES)

Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)

EducationCanada.com - Canada's largest education recruitment resource network

Jobsineducation.com - Source of Jobs in Education

Ministry of Education in Alberta

Ontario Ministry of Education

The World Bank (Education Home Page)

UNESCO (Education Home Page)

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