MCUSzambia Urban and rural health and education in Africa
Teach with us

We are looking for 200 mathematics and science teachers

Not to replace the teachers already in these schools — to stand next to them, teach the local syllabus, and leave something behind when you go.

Register your interest See the schools
Why we are asking

These posts are empty, not badly filled

The shortage of rural teachers in Zambia is worst in mathematics and the sciences, because those are the teachers with the most options elsewhere. Many decline rural postings outright, and the schools stay understaffed rather than staffed poorly.

Inviting teachers from abroad is one of three things we do about that — the other two being employing more local mathematics and science teachers, and training the teachers already in post. Volunteers are part of the answer, never the whole of it.

You would be teaching in one of 13 partner schools across Zambia and Malawi, in mathematics, biology, physics or chemistry.

If you would rather come to mentor than to teach a syllabus, say so. Mentoring and motivational talks are their own kind of contribution, and they are one of the options on the form below.

Teachers seated at desks in a classroom during an MCUSzambia training workshop
A teacher training workshop — the local teachers you would work alongside.
The pathway

How a placement works

  1. Tell us about yourself

    Your subject, your experience, when you could travel and how long you could stay. There is no application fee and no agency involved.

  2. We match you to a school

    Placements are decided with the school and the district education office, against the subjects that school is actually short of.

  3. Preparation and syllabus

    You teach selected topics from the local syllabus. We brief you on it, and on what your international perspective can add to it.

  4. In the classroom

    You teach alongside the school’s own teachers, not instead of them. Knowledge sharing between you and them is part of the point.

Before you apply

What we would rather you heard from us first

These are the same conditions that make local teachers decline these postings. We would be doing you no favours by leaving them off this page.

  • Rural postings mean limited access to health facilities and, at some sites, to clean water.
  • Roads are poor and some schools are more than 100 km from the district office.
  • Housing is basic. Several of our schools teach out of mud-and-pole classroom blocks with no furniture.
  • You will need your own travel insurance and to meet Zambian or Malawian visa and teaching-clearance requirements.

Register your interest

There is no deadline and no commitment at this stage. Tell us what you teach and when you could come, and we will tell you which schools need it.

info@mcusafrica.com +260 975 836 324

or use the form

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Get involved

Cannot travel? There are other ways in

Schools need equipment and books as much as they need people, and the programmes behind these placements need funding.

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