Ecuador is launching a plan to hire 500 professional educators from Spain to train teachers for Ecuador’s public school system. 

Miriam Aguirre, from the Ecuadorian government subsecretariat in charge of the plan, says the country has taken “great strides” in terms of its public school infrastructure and national reach, but needs to improve its teacher training.

She says the first country to offer to help, so far has been Spain. She says it’s due to “language affinities as well as the history between the two countries,” and Ecuador is interested because of the high quality of Spanish teaching professionals.

Aguirre said contracts could be limited term: anywhere from one week to three years, or open ended. Salaries will be $5,000 a month for teachers, $2,783 for assistant teachers and $2,226 for auxiliary teachers.

Those who sign longer term contracts will receive housing, food and transportation stipends.

The plan (International Plan to Attract and Select Educators) will begin in early 2014, and will be carried out by the National Education University (UNAE), based in Azogues.

By 2015 its hoped the university will have six satellite schools all over Ecuador training teachers for all three levels of public education: primary, secondary and post-secondary.

Spaniards interested in teaching at the UNAE can sign up as of August 1 on Ecuador’s Min. of Education website www.educación.gob.ec

Original story