Class sizes in Fijian schools are large, with up to 50 children per teacher, so holding inclusive lessons where each student gets equal benefit can be challenging. Volunteer teachers add great benefit in enabling education to be targeted to students of different abilities.
As a Teaching volunteer, you’ll be placed in either a local school or on an after school teaching tutorial. This placement depends on your teaching experience and time on the program - qualified teachers who are in Fiji for four weeks or more will be placed in schools, and volunteers who are staying for less than four weeks or don’t have teaching qualifications will help on after school tutorials.
Volunteers in schools will follow the local curriculum, helping with students aged between 6-16. You can either assist a local teacher or lead the class independently, but in both instances you’re encouraged to be creative in planning and executing your lessons in a lively and interesting manner.
The after school tutorials have a lot more freedom, as they’re considered supplementary lessons that don’t need to follow a set curriculum. They’re designed to be fun and interactive, and should reinforce what’s being learnt at school. It requires some time to plan lessons each day, and the local team can help you with this. Because you’ll have time free in the morning, you can choose to assist on either the Kindergarten or Construction and Renovation projects.
During school exams and holidays (typically April, July, and August through to January), all volunteers will be placed on after school tutorials. Additionally, occasional events like graduation, festivals and other school activities may mean students have time off, so volunteers aren’t required. This is a normal part of the education system in Fiji and you’ll need to be flexible in accepting free time yourself.
We encourage volunteers to come prepared by completing some relevant training, like a teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) course, especially if you want to volunteer in schools. Visit our Online TEFL Course page to learn how to gain an internationally-recognized TEFL certification at a discounted rate.
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