Comenius provides a European dimension in staff training by enabling teachers and other staff involved in school education to take part in training courses lasting between one and six weeks, in another country. An added benefit is that courses are multi-national. This brings further opportunities for the exchange of ideas and approaches and the possibility of finding partners for further international collaboration. Grants are awarded for participation in activities which appear suitable for achieving the applicant’s stated in-service training objectives and which comply with the necessary quality criteria. Socrates National Agencies will determine whether an activity is appropriate and, if so, may award a grant for participation.
There is a wide range of professional development opportunities on offer. For example:
- the teaching of modern foreign languages
- raising the European dimension in school education
- intercultural education
- education of children of Gypsies, Traveller, occupational travellers and migrant workers, or children at risk of exclusion or discontinuity in education
- integrating pupils with special educational needs
Who can take part?
Courses in a foreign language are open to:
- qualified and practising language teachers
- primary teachers involved in language teaching
- teachers re-training in foreign language teaching
- those teaching subjects through the medium of a foreign language
- language teachers returning after a career break
- trainers, inspectors and advisers
General in-service training courses are open to:
- teachers
- headteachers
- staff working with the children of Gypsies, Travellers, occupational travellers and migrant workers
Funding
The grant provided will depend upon the destination, the length of the course and the course fee. The maximum grant available is up to €1500 for 1 week, €2000 for 2 weeks and up to a maximum of €2500 Euro for 6 weeks . The grant is a contribution towards the cost associated with attending a course and in some cases may not cover the total cost. Courses offered by Caledonia Languages Abroad in Europe are approved by The British Council for funding. For more details of locations and dates please contact us
Deadlines for courses in 2009:
Information regarding application deadlines is still to be confirmed for courses in 2009, and specifically for courses happening after April 2009. As the format of the funding programme has changed somewhat, the British Council expects there to be one deadline which covers ALL COURSES HAPPENING IN 2009. This deadline is likely to be in early January, so the earlier your application, the better your chances will be in obtaining funding for your course.
MORE DATES TO BE CONFIRMED
View French and Spanish courses eligible for Comenius 2.2 funding
More information on funding and eligibility is available on these websites:
http://www.britishcouncil.org/comenius-professional-development-courses.htm
