Opportunity knocks for young Greek schoolteachers who want to experience teaching in a foreign country - or simply can't find an appropriate position in their own. While Britain finds itself facing shortfalls in key teacher specialities, Greece possesses a surplus of job-seekers in these same fields. Thus, UK education authorities have begun interviewing young Greek educators in an effort to spot the best and entice them to the British Isles for a trial run.

Interviews of applicants, which began in November for the first batch of five applicants, were conducted by Chris Marshall and Elizabeth Vincent, Local Education Authorities officials responsible for over 100 schools in the greater London area. According to Vincent, British school officials had until recently looked chiefly to other English-speaking countries - such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa to meet their staffing needs.

But the availability of well-qualified young Greek teachers with good academic backgrounds and, of course, a solid grasp of English, led education officials to dip their toes into Greece's teacher pool as well. "We hope to hire quite a few, and that our collaboration will continue in the long term," Vincent was quoted in the daily Ta Nea.

Ideal candidate's profile
Nursery and grade school teachers, highschool teachers with expertise in math and science, social workers, gymnastics coaches, and special education teachers are among the specialities in which British schools are finding themselves short-handed.

Successful applicants, who must possess a teaching licence, will be employed for an initial trial period of three months. After that, if everything goes smoothly, they will have the option of continuing and even winning a permanent position if they so desire.

According to Aliki Batidi, director of Helion Teachers - the Greek company hired by the Brits to oversee the process of finding applicants and helping them with practical matters, such as compiling documentation and finding accommodations - salaries will depend on qualifications, experience, and the location of the school. Take-home pay will exceed 2,000 euros per month, running as a rule significantly higher.

The first batch of five applicants - four women and one man - came variously armed with degrees in literature, math, education, and sociology. "Britain is a good opportunity for a teacher to see how a completely different educational system works," one candidate told Ta Nea. "I've never been to England and the prospect of teaching there is really thrilling," commented another.

All five said that the interviewers put them at ease and seemed more concerned with assessing their personality and suitability to work with children than with their knowledge of any particular academic field.