International Teacher Education for primary schools (ITEps)

NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences is the first university in the world to be granted a course in international teacher education for primary schools.

After an international accreditation, the NVAO recognized the International Teacher Education for primary schools (ITEPS) as an independent course. The English-taught course is offered in Meppel and started in September 2012 as a specialization of the national Dutch teacher education programme.

The independent, international teacher education course is first and foremost aimed at international schools. However, graduates will also be valued in multi-lingual schools or in schools with substantial cultural diversity. ITEPS can also be the stepping stone to English spoken schools outside of Europe. The number of international schools across the globe and the need for qualified teaching staff is growing rapidly.

Why completing your teaching training with NHL Stenden?

• Train with professional specialists from several countries
• Develop intercultural skills in an international learning environment
• Build competencies in the following areas: interpersonal relations, pedagogy, organisation, communication, collaboration, reflection and development.

The programme: what can you expect?

The first year will begin with an introduction to teaching and education. Students will focus on educational theory and understand how children think and the various ways to communicate with them. From the first year onwards students will gain practical experience by visiting and working in international primary schools in the Netherlands. Students will begin by observing and then slowly begin to carry out tasks within the classroom.

The second year will consist of students learning how to get children to focus and how to make the classes that you teach successfull.

The third-year enables students to choose two areas to specialise in, a few of the specialisations that NHL Stenden offers are art and culture, physical education and health and science and technology. This also provides students with the opportunity to experience different cultures as students can choose to participate in specialisations offered by our partner schools in Denmark or Norway.

During the final year, students will conduct an internship within a school and write their final graduation project.

What can I become?

Graduates of the International Teacher Education for Primary Schools course can find work at an international school in the Netherlands or abroad. Thus meaning that graduates leave NHL Stenden with global employment possibilities. Graduates, for example, can go on to have careers such as:

• Teaching at aninternational primary school where you will work with children of different nationalities and cultures. As well as teaching you will also have the responsibility of consulting with other members of staff as well as parents.
• Teacherat a Dutch primary school. Upon graduation, students can acquire the Dutch teacher qualification by participating in a short track (6-12 months) course.

Tester Day

Gain an insight into the curriculum and learning activities of the ITEPS programme by attending a Taster Day at NHL Stenden.

• 17 November 2018
• 9 February 2019
• 13 April 2019
• 15 June 2019

How to apply

You will need 3 A Levels to apply to the ITEPS programme at NHL Stendent.

The deadline for application is 1 May.

Assessment will take place on 19 January, 16 March, 25 March and 29 June.

Programme start dates

This programme starts in September.

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