The first time I heard of the Falkland Islands was as news of the Argentine invasion was announced on Radio 4 early in April 1982. I recall flicking through the enormous atlas that lived underneath the coffee table to find out how close they were to the UK, as thoughts of war conjured up the images, I’d seen in history lessons in my twelve year old brain.
Situated in the South Atlantic Ocean on the Patagonian Shelf, the Falkland Islands archipelago turned out to be far, far from the UK. Yet as a self-governing British Overseas Territory, despite an ongoing dispute between Argentina and the UK over its sovereignty status, there are strong ties with the UK.
Forty years on from those days of anguished radio and television bulletins bringing reports of loss and grief, and the population of the Falklands has risen to around 3,500, with the capital, Stanley, being home to over 40 nationalities. The Falklands education system follows England’s national curriculum, despite the inherent challenges involved in doing so on a windswept archipelago 8,000 miles from the UK.
Classroom sizes- bigger vs smaller
Joanne Ford, a teacher on the Falkland Islands, explained that while they follow the National Curriculum used in England, plus the Early Years Foundation Stage framework, class sizes can be smaller there. “Once numbers reach 30, the cohort is split into 2 classes. Most class sizes are between 17 – 23.” Ford described provision for SEND as “well-funded” and pointed out that the Falkland Islands do not use UK teacher pay scales. “Salaries can start at around £39,000, depending on experience. Contractor teachers also have benefits such as flights and gratuity too.”
Early childhood consultant, Kym Scott, spent some time in the Falkland Islands in 2020, supporting the childcare sector. During her time there she led conferences for everyone who works with children there. She explained, “There is one primary school and one secondary school on the Falkland Islands. For A levels and beyond students tend to go to England. The children who live “in camp” (those who live outside Stanley) are usually educated in very small schools. The smallest school I visited had just one teacher and three children! Children in these small schools would typically lodge in Stanley to access secondary school.”
For the children living in small settlements, there are travelling teachers who visit to spend a week living with the family and teaching the children. “When not living with the families they do ‘telephone teaching’”, Scott explained. “Parents need to be very engaged in these processes. The role of travelling teacher is a completely different job from being a classroom teacher. At its best, the home learning aspect of education focuses on the natural resources available on the islands.”
Life on the island
The remoteness of some communities on the Falkland Islands has to be factored in where education is concerned. Schools can be whole days of travelling apart by car (an hour or so by plane).”
Teachers considering a teaching job in the Falkland Islands can either work in a school or as a travelling teacher. “One thing to keep in mind,” Scott explained, “is that it is very windy on the Falklands so outdoor provision has to be very carefully planned so that resources don’t blow away! Children growing up on the Falklands can often have incredible physical skills and knowledge of the natural world. They encounter sea lions, penguins, dolphins, whales and so on, and planes are like buses to them. Families guide in the planes in some small communities and children are a part of that. Children get very independent very early, particularly if they live away from home for school.”
Joanne Ford finds that the teaching environment she works in is large and friendly. “We have amazing wildlife which really enriches the curriculum,” she said. “There is a rich history here too which is engrained in the history and geography curriculums. In many ways it feels like teaching in the UK, with workload and expectations being very similar.”
“For many teachers there is no commute to work. It is a multicultural society with more than forty different nationalities being represented in a population of 3,500. Some of us are 8000 miles away from family and friends, which can be a challenge. It is a well-resourced and funded education system, but resources have to be ordered from overseas and can take up to three months to arrive.”
There’s no doubt that teaching in the Falklands would be a life-enriching experience and if you’re looking for a change or a challenge this might just be for you!
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
