On 5th October every year, World Teachers’ Day (also known as International Teachers’ Day) is celebrated around the globe.
It all started in 1994, to commemorate the signing of the 1966 UNESCO/ILO Recommendations Concerning the Status of Teachers, which acts as the main reference framework for addressing teachers’ rights and responsibilities around the world.
The day is designed to celebrate teachers and all that they do, and to help safeguard quality education for future generations.
And with a number of former teachers here at Halsbury, we also thought we’d take this opportunity to thank them for using their experiences as teachers to ensure that we’re able to provide effective support for teachers planning school trips.
Keith Sharkey – Managing DirectorOur founder and still very much hands-on Managing Director, Keith Sharkey, enjoyed a 16-year teaching career in the state secondary and independent sector.
As Head of Modern Languages, Keith organised many school trips abroad. And, having seen the incredible effects of school trips abroad on his own students, Keith has a really passionate belief in the educational value of school travel.
He wanted to make it easier for teachers to take their students abroad, and it was this that led him to create Halsbury Travel – a school tour operator designed specifically to better support teachers through the trip planning process.
Sue Sharkey - DirectorSue and Keith actually met on a school playing field in St. Alban’s when they were both still teaching.
Having taught geography and sociology for 25 years, Sue organised many field and ski trips during her teaching career and she shares Keith’s passionate belief in the educational value of school trips, having seen the evidence herself.
Along with Keith, Sue has used her own experiences to help guide Halsbury Travel and develop the service we provide, to ensure that support for teachers is at the heart of everything we do.
During her own teaching career, Bev organised, accompanied and led many a school trip, which means she’s well placed to ensure that we continue to provide the support that teachers really need to run a successful school trip.
Rachael McLoughlin – Tour AdviserYet another former Modern Foreign Languages teacher, Rachael got her first taste of teaching during her year abroad at university – she spent part of the year teaching just outside of Paris.
She then went on to teach French and Spanish in a secondary school for a couple of years, before leaving to work for Halsbury.
Just like our other former teachers, Rachael’s background not only helps her to really understand the positive impact of school trips on students, but also the pressures on teachers. For this reason, it’s always her aim to make sure the whole process is as straightforward as possible.