New pastures

As readers of Drama & Theatre are keenly aware, recent reports show that the number of students taking Drama GCSE in the UK has declined by 39.4 per cent since 2010. Uptake for A Level Drama is similarly suffering – the ruinous profile of the subject is enough for drama teachers to want to up sticks, but presumably there is more to this trend. Moving abroad is a big deal, both from the administrative and emotional side, yet the perks can make it worthwhile. We posed the question to drama teachers online; the following article summarises the responses.

One teacher who moved to Indonesia to teach in a primary school explained that the main challenge so far has been the distance from family and friends. But, with an increase in pay, a nanny and accommodation, the decision seemed a ‘no brainer’ for her and her family. She began her role abroad earning much more as a drama teacher than she did as a head of department teacher in the UK – and this figure has increased year on year. With less responsibility and more pay (in some countries) one can see how a teacher could be tempted further afield.