International Volunteer Teachers (French & Basic Science - STEM) at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: International Volunteer Teacher (French & Basic Science - STEM, Junior & Senior Secondary)

Location: Sierra Leone
Category: ECOWAS International Volunteer
Type of Contract: ECOWAS Volunteers Programme
Expected Starting Date: 01 February, 2022
Duration: 12 Months (renewable based on performance and availability of funding)

Brief Project Description

• In line with its vision 2020, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is implementing a Volunteers Programme that cuts across all areas/sectors of activities of the ECOWAS Commission and its sister Institutions.
• ECOWAS Volunteers are a group of volunteer men and women (18 to 35 years old) from ECOWAS member States, with the capacity to adapt to different social, cultural and political circumstances. They are deployed in selected community-based associations, national and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and specialised agencies that are active in socio-economic, cultural, political, and humanitarian work.
• The volunteers will help consolidate peace, recovery, national reconciliation and rehabilitation in crisis-affected communities. Members of the volunteer corps also work to strengthen the capacities of local organisations by assisting them in the development and implementation of projects and programmes. This initiative complements existing programmes for Peace Building and national volunteers’ programmes in ECOWAS Member States. It helps to address the structural causes of vulnerability, instability or outbreaks of violence in the region.
• The ECOWAS Volunteers Programme (EVP) is centralized in organisation, but decentralized in its application to allow for flexibility and adaptation to the current realities of each country. The strategic directions, including the formulation of the overall vision, goals and objectives of the Programme, is the responsibility of the Regional Coordination Council (RCC), whose role, among others, is to ensure that the EVP becomes a genuine voluntary arm of ECOWAS.
• Being a cross-cutting programme, the ECOWAS Volunteers Regional Coordination Council (RCC) includes representatives of relevant departments of the ECOWAS Commission. The RCC is chaired by the Commissioner for Social Affairs and Gender of the ECOWAS Commission. She is assisted by the Director of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre (EYSDC), as Alternate Chairman of the RCC.
• The executive arm of the RCC is the Regional Office, provided by the EYSDC in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). The programme’s regional coordination activities are coordinated by a Regional Coordinator under the supervision of the EYSDC Director. Although the EVP is under the Youth Division of the EYSDC, it is directly supervised by the EYSDC Director for effectiveness.
• At the National level, the National Coordination Council (NCC) serves as the national body through which national policy guidelines for the Programme are given. This Council works towards the understanding and entrenchment of the Volunteer Programme in the national environment. It also serves as advisor to the country office, headed by the Country Coordinator, and which is responsible for the implementation and coordination of the Programme at national level.
• The NCC is chaired by the Head of the ECOWAS National Office in the country. It is made up of Focal Points/Representatives of the various ministries, Civil Society Organisations, United Nations Agencies and local youth associations involved in the implementation of the Programme at the National level.

Host Agency / Institution:

• Successful candidates will be deployed to various host agencies/institutions under the Ministry of Education of Sierra Leone.

Description of Duties
Secondary Education:

Subject: French (JSS / SSS):

• He / She must able to develop daily lesson notes and weekly lesson plan
• Organize lab demonstration (where possible)
• Develop and ensure adequate use of teaching aids
• Monitor and Supervise students performance
• Teach at least 25 hours per week
• Guidance and counseling skills
• Be willing to live and work in rural areas
• Establish French Clubs in schools.

Subject: Basic Science (JSS / SSS):

• He / She must able to develop daily lesson notes and weekly lesson plan
• Organize lab demonstration
• Develop teaching aids
• Monitor and Supervise students performance
• Teach at least 25 hours per week
• Guidance and counseling skills
• Be willing to live and work in rural areas.

Qualifications / Competencies & Experience
Subject: French (JSS / SSS):

• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree (B.Ed) or Higher Teaching Certificate in French or equivalent
• 2 years teaching experience in French.
• Excellent classroom management skills
• Be a team player
• Remain Ethical
• Ability to communicate in English is compulsory.

Subject: Basic Science (JSS / SSS):

• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree (B.Ed) or Higher Teaching Certificate in Science or equivalent
• 2 years teaching experience.
• Excellent classroom management skills
• Be a team player
• Remain Ethical
• Ability to deliver course in English is compulsory.

Language Requirements:

• Perfect command of the English language (written and oral) is mandatory.
• Knowledge of any other official language of ECOWAS (French or Portuguese) will be considered an asset / advantage

Conditions of Life

• Sierra Leone is a growing post-conflict country with a desire to improve its social and economic institutions. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the host institutions will assist the volunteers to integrate into the communities and facilitate the provision of appropriate accommodation facilities.

Conditions of Service

• A one year contract with the possibility of one year extension, following positive performance appraisal and if funds available. A modest Monthly Living Allowance of US$1,112.50 will be paid monthly to the volunteers plus a full life and health insurance cover. At the beginning of the assignment, a settling-in grant will be paid and a resettlement grant will be provided at the end of the assignment. Air transport from home country to the duty station and return at end of mission is also provided.
• Other conditions and benefits as stipulated in the EVP Management and Administration Manual and Handbook of Conditions of Service shall also apply.

Other Conditions:

• This position is considered a non-family ECOWAS International Volunteer position.
• The position is open to Nationals of ECOWAS member States (except Sierra Leone), aged not more than 35 years by the date of recruitment.

Application Closing Date
1st December, 2021.