Globetrotting educator makes Waterside his new home

Students studying on the Early Childhood Studies programme now have even more global experience to draw on during their studies, as globetrotting lecturer, David Meechan, joins the academic team.

David said: “I’ve actually been working with children and young people much longer than my academic background suggests. My parents opened a day nursery when I was five, so I was always around young children and families, before beginning my career.”

After qualifying as a primary school teacher and teaching in schools and nursery settings around Birmingham and Solihull, David boarded a plane to set up and train staff for a new children’s centre in Malawi.

Two years later, after making the small township in Malawi home and training over sixty caregivers to work in the children’s centre, David return to the UK to continue his studies with a Masters in Early Years at Newman University Birmingham

David continued: “After revisiting the children centre in Malawi as part of my research project for my MA, I travelled through Africa. I set foot in 27 countries over 10 months. This was during the Ebola crisis! That was interesting.”

David then began a Masters in International development at University College Dublin, during this time he worked with two global charities where he conducted research into educational interventions in developing countries and humanitarian contexts.

“I’ve worked in nursery settings, primary schools; as well as with a number of charities and NGOs, as well as most recently as a researcher for the Centre for International Development and Training on a project based in the Caribbean Region.

“My passion for working with children and families, as well as my experiences in the UK and countries across the world, have given me exposure to a wide spectrum of culture, education and best practice, which I’m looking forward to sharing with my students.”

Speaking about the start of the new academic year, David said: “I’ve already met lots of students and they’re great. The majority of my teaching is with second year students, but I’m also looking forward to supervising some dissertation students from Year three.”