teaching in St Kitts and Nevis
 

can anyone give any advice to an experienced Business teacher trying to relocate to Nevis or St kitts to teach, pros and cons etc, differences in educatiion system and expectations, there is nothing for guidance on the internet.

anelsona, sorry I cannot help you out here, except to suggest that in addition to posting here on the Carib Board, you also post your question over in the Lounge where you will probably get some informed responses.

If you ar not a citizen of St. Kitts or Nevis you cannot just show up and work on either island. You must apply for and receive a Work Permit which is not always easy to get. You must first have a "unique skill" and your potential employer (assuming you are able to find one who is willing to sponsor you) must be able to prove to the Labor Board that there are no "locals" on either island qualified to fill the position. Work Permits, when they are granted are good for one year and must be renewed annually. The Permit is good only for the individual to whom it was issued and only for that position. It is non-transferrable. If you are married your spouse will not be able to work unles he/she obtains his/her own Work Permit.

I'm not sure that a "Business Teacher" would qualify as a "unique skill" as that would be a determination made by the Labor Board (which sometimes can be arbitrary). I should add that most secondary and primary teachers on St. Kitts and Nevis are island natives and many secondary students attend local and US colleges to obtain a degree in teaching so opportunities to outsiders are slim. There are several private schools which have no problem obtaining staff and some work without salary. In other words there are lots of locals with excellent teaching credentials so it will probably be extremely difficult for the school administrators to prove there are no qualified locals.

Lastly, the government run schools, while OK, are they are not anywhere near as good as in more developed countries. There are a few private schools on both islands that are a cut above the public schools but they too are lacking. FYI - Many of the more affluent locals and a large number of Ex-pats living on the island send their children to boarding schools in the US or England for their primary and secondary educations.

You'll probably find similas work restrictions on most Caribbean islands. Sorry if this may not be what you want to hear but it's a fact of life.

If you are a US citizen you'll find it infinitely easier to live/work in Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands as you will already have citizenship/work staus on those islands. If you are a citizen of a EU country consider relocating to one of the French/Dutch islands as you'll have residency/work staus there.