A call has been made for volunteer teachers to teach English online to Ukrainian adults in Ireland.

The call was launched by eTeachers Global, an international online English teaching company for mature students based in County Roscommon. Usually, the company stipulates that all teachers on the platform are qualified Primary/Secondary teachers, are registered with the Teaching Council and hold English Language Education qualifications. Teachers are individually vetted and approved by eTeachers’ global recruitment team.

Horrified by the events unfolding in Ukraine, company CEO Joan Gilligan spoke with her team about what eTeachers Global could do to help Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. Stuart McNamara (our CTO and military veteran) has spent many years serving in humanitarian and peacekeeping missions in conflict zones around the world. This wealth of experience led eTeachers Global to recognize that its platform technology could be used effectively to support Ukrainian teachers and students.

“Together with our developers, we have made our platform freely accessible to teachers who wish to help, and available free of charge to Ukrainian adults. The aim is to help Ukrainians adjust to life in Ireland and to support them in learning English for work and for everyday life here,” explained Joan.

Joan has worked in the education sector for many years and is convinced that there are many teachers out there who will offer their skills and time for free. Teachers should be registered with the Teaching Council and preferably have a qualification in teaching English as an additional language. This additional ELE qualification is not essential for volunteer teachers.

“Teachers can teach individually or in small groups. They can meet individual needs that are not always possible in a large group, for example, someone may need help with the English needed to take a service catering or healthcare work,” she said.

During the lockdown, many teachers quickly adapted to teaching online and now have the skills to do so effectively. For any teachers who might need help with setup, eTeachers’ global IT team is on hand to help.

Covid has had a negative impact on schools with student and staff absences, so it’s understandable that not everyone is able to help. This may be suitable for job-sharing, career-breaking or retired teachers who can commit to as little as one hour per week. The booking calendar on the platform is easily adjusted by the teachers themselves to reflect their availability,” Joan said.

As part of this initiative, eTeachers Global is waiving all fees for teachers who wish to voluntarily teach English online to adult refugees from Ukraine living in Ireland.

Joan explained, “Usually a small commission and token annual subscription fee is charged for each course taught, but this fee is being waived as part of our efforts to support the Ukrainian community.”

Anyone wishing to support or help with this project, please contact Joan directly via email at [email protected]