Frequently Asked Questions
We welcome your questions on all aspects of our schools and our teaching positions. This page contains answers to those questions most often asked. If you don't find the answer to your question here, please send us an email.
- Do I need to have teaching experience?
- What type of curriculum is used?
- Do I work for NICS or the school?
- Will I be paid a salary?
- What training does NICS offer to new staff?
- Do I have to speak the language of the country?
- How is housing handled for teachers?
- Does NICS offer any Health Insurance?
- What about my college loans?
- Will NICS place anyone without Teacher Certification?
- Will I need to raise financial support?
- If I have to raise support, will NICS help handle the money?
- Is my transportation included?
- Do the schools follow a calendar similar to the United States?
- How long does the hiring process take?
- I have children. Can they attend the NICS School?
Do I need to have teaching experience?
No. Although we prefer teachers who have classroom experience beyond student teaching, it is not required. While most mission organizations require a teacher to have at least two years experience NICS is willing to invest the time and effort to help you get that experience. In return, we get energetic teachers with a teachable spirit and a willingness to learn. Final decisions regarding staff placement are made by the school's administrator.
What type of curriculum is used?
We use a variety of American-based curricula. Each of the NICS schools has an administrator and curriculum committee that determines the best curriculum and resources for their school. Just like schools in the United States, the amount of resources depends on the size of the school.
Do I work for NICS or the school?
Both. You will be an employee for the school but you will also be sent as a NICS M-staffer and will be required to meet those requirements before your contract will be issued.
Will I be paid a salary?
It depends on the school and the location. NICS has three basic types of schools, Pioneer (Start up), Transitional (Becoming an International school) and International (Established). While each school has different positive aspects that make it unique, the Pioneer and Transitional may require the raising of some support and the International schools will provide a salary. The salary is one that will allow you to live comfortably in that country. By comfortable we mean able to cover all living expenses (Apartment, utilities, clothing, food and able to go out to eat a couple of times each week and still be able to save enough money to come home for Christmas or travel during the summer break).
What training does NICS offer to new staff?
NICS partners with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Interaction International to present an intense two-week training program for all new NICS staff. This Pre-Field Orientation (PFO) takes place each year in late June/early July.
Do I have to speak the language of the country?
No. It is not necessary to know the language of your host country. In fact most of our teachers only know English when they arrive. Knowing the language of the host country will help you in communicating in the local environment but the parents of our students place their children in our schools primarily because our schools are an English speaking, American-styled school. All of our students speak English, although English may not be their native language. Those children who need help are placed in an ESL (English as a Second Language) class in addition to their regular studies.
How is housing handled for teachers?
Most of our schools have apartments or houses located near the school that they rent on a continual basis. Administrators from the schools work with new staff to help them secure a place to live before they arrive. Married couples are given their own apartment, while singles normally share an apartment with another single but accommodations vary depending on the country.
Does NICS offer any Health Insurance?
Yes. We believe that health insurance is a necessity these days, so NICS provides complete world wide health coverage to all of its staff and their families. In most cases the schools pay for this cost. After a deductible is met, all staff living outside of the United States are covered at 100% and while they are in the United States and Canada they are covered as high as 90% if using the preferred network.
What about my college loans?
The reality of college loans is no longer a valid reason for postponing serving on the foreign field. Through our financial department, participants may elect to raise additional financial support so that approved college loans may be repaid while they serve. In many cases college loans can be deferred while teaching overseas.
Will NICS place anyone without Teacher Certification?
Yes. It is possible for us to place someone without certification but most of our schools are accredited or in the process of becoming accredited and therefore must maintain a ratio of certified teachers who are teaching in their area of certification. If you have a Bachelors degree in a specialized field (Engineering, Nursing etc.) from an American university we may be able to help you get a temporary certification and with this could possibly place you into a school with a high ratio as long as you are working on classes that will lead to a more permanent certificate. This is obviously on a case by case basis.
Will I need to raise financial support?
Most of our positions are fully salaried. Which means that for a single person the school would pay a salary that would allow them to live comfortably in that country. By comfortable we mean able to cover all living expenses (Apartment, utilities, clothing, food and able to go out to eat a couple of times each week and still be able to save enough money to come home for Christmas or travel during the summer break). Usually families will have to raise some support depending on the size of your family and the location that you choose. Some of our schools pay only a partial salary and some pay no salary at all. This all gets a little confusing but it depends on the school and that schools location.
Missionaries who serve in our schools will be ministering to students from every major religion and many countries all over the world. Most of the students are there because their parents want them in an English speaking school and don't necessarily care that it is a Christian school. The benefits should be obvious. NICS has three basic types of schools:
Pioneer (Start Up) - Our missionaries who serve in these schools have to have a pioneering spirit and love to the idea of being on the ground floor of a project. These schools generally start from the ground up and will struggle for a couple of years before they really take off. The research has already taken place to determine the need for an International school in the area but the real work has only just begun. Just like if you wanted to go start a church in the jungle somewhere, most people who serve in a Pioneer school would have to raise their own financial support. These schools are the future of NICS. As the school grows the need for your own financial support should decrease.
Transitional (Becoming an Established School) - Our missionaries who serve in these schools have to be flexible. Usually the school is undergoing some significant changes. Maybe it started as a Pioneer school and has grown past the start-up phase but is not yet established. Maybe this school was started by a different mission agency and was turned over to NICS to run. Maybe the dynamics of the school have changed and the school is adjusting to a new focus. Whatever the case these schools are not quite a Pioneer school and not yet completely established. Usually these schools pay a partial salary and try to move a little closer to paying a full salary each year.
Established - These schools are usually very stable and experience a steady growth. Usually these schools pay a full salary but this is still ministry work and depending on the situation, the salary may need to be supplemented with some financial support.
While each school has different positive aspects that make it unique, the Pioneer and Transitional schools may require the raising of some financial support and the Established schools will generally provide a salary.
If you have any other questions or would like more information about raising financial support please do not hesitate to contact us. Each year we help nearly 100 new missionaries and families go to the mission field and rarely does anyone not make it to the field because of a lack of funding.
If I have to raise support, will NICS help handle the money?
Yes. We'll handle all receipting, tracking and acknowledging of donations for you from the time of your appointment and throughout your time of service with NICS. A small administrative fee is deducted for expenses associated with this service.
Is my transportation included?
NICS schools do not typically cover the expense of transportation, but through one-time financial gifts from your church, family and friends the costs of transportation may be greatly reduced or eliminated altogether.
Do the schools follow a calendar similar to the United States?
Yes. Most schools normally will start in August and go through May or June. The length of Christmas and summer breaks and holidays will vary.
How long does the hiring process take?
You will usually hear in two to three weeks after we have received your completed application packet, depending on the time of the year. We will do everything possible to screen your application and arrive at a decision in a timely manner.