In an approach to provide more real life experiences of what it’s like teaching overseas in various parts of the world, SeekTeachersâ„¢ has begun to get the real low down from actual people who have been there and done it and can share their experiences with you.We begin with an average working lifestyle for teachers in India. SeekTeachersâ„¢ caught up with Utpal Betai, a veteran educationalist in India to discuss the pointers that educators should be aware of when coming to work in India.  This will be a series of blogs coming your way so watch this space!This is what Utpal had to say..”Teaching in India can be fun as well as challenging at the same time. If you are going to work for an International School you will get a handsome salary package and some other benefits like housing and medical cover. But, you must be ready for culture shock as people in India are going through a revolution on almost every front. Things in India are changing very fast as the country is witnessing an almost double digit growth rate.

 

Teaching is a noble profession and you must be ready to live up to the expectation of parents and society at the same time. People here are ready to pay any price for education as it is the only mode of survival if one is not involved in any kind of business.  People worship teachers as GODS and teachers enjoy a special status in Indian society for ages. But, this should not carry you away from your goal of providing best of the best when it comes to education. Students really work hard to make their mark in their respective fields.

 

Indians are embracing technology at a record pace too. Earlier it was like 2-3 TV sets were common, now 2-3 PCs or laptops per household is the new norm. Broadband and Wi-Fi is everywhere but don’t expect to get the same Internet speed you have been enjoying in the West. The Government is also opening up in terms of Education. So, you will soon find all major famous Universities of the World are ready to open their campuses in India too.  It is changing but people here are not ready for change always and resistance against change is a common phenomenon. So, I think as a newcomer to India you should not involve yourself in any kind of revolution to begin with.

 

Safety and security can be a point of concern if you are female and especially single. You must understand the local language if you are not able to speak. Languages like Hindi or Urdu are more common and are easy to learn and understand. People are very western friendly, but remaining a bit cautious can help you avoid any kind of trouble. People are bit sensitive to their religious and cultural belief too. People have a lot of fun during Festivals and the public display of Religion is a common thing here.

 

For food you don’t need to worry as all the famous world cuisine is available but sometimes a bit costly. If you are vegetarian and ready to eat a bit spicy, lots of options are available. On a general sanitation and civic sense, people are still not ready as their Global counterpart, but things will change eventually. Lots of shopping malls and multiplexes are coming up with a new crop of clubs to entertain you at places near you. If you are going to live in or near big cities, things are very much at par with the international standards, but if you go a little bit out of the city you will be surprised to see things are still not up to the mark.

 

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and Digital Whiteboards are fast becoming the norm here in schools as well as universities. Multimedia teaching tools are part of even Play Schools. Projection devices are getting installed in almost every school and every class now. Ready made educational CDs and DVDs are being used by students more than ever. Online education is also catching up. Educational TV & Cable channels are also trying to lure students.

 

The Government is trying to make the education system more dynamic and providing student options to select courses and subjects of their choice and learn at their own pace. Lots of distance learning and online courses are also available for working professionals. Cutting edge technology and state-of-the art campuses are coming up to provide world class educations to the students of India. But, everything comes at a cost which is sometimes out of reach of the common man, which is same as it is in the Western world.”