News item | 28-05-2025 | 06:00
Working more hours is one of the ways to combat the teacher shortage. Teachers will then work more in exchange for, for example, extra salary or sniffing days. To further experiment with this, primary schools can participate in a new pilot. A total of 15 million euros is available for this. Working more hours has the potential to substantially contribute to reducing the teacher shortage.
State Secretary Mariëlle Paul (Fundering Education and Emancipation): “Many teachers want to make extra hours, but often need a boost to take that step. I therefore want to make more hours of work more attractive for those who want and can. The increase in the number of work worked not only ensures that there is a unstopmentation of the Lerarent shortage, it also makes it possible to be a professional shortage. Teacher of making more hours, but especially the students. “
Quarter willing to work more
In primary education, about seven in ten teachers work part -time. Research shows that about 25 percent of those part -time teachers are willing to work a day (0.2 FTE) more if there is a bonus in return. That can be extra money, but also non-financial extras such as more flexible working hours, more leave or other tasks. A first, small -scale pilot with stimulating more hours of working also showed that teachers mainly want this customization.
The potential contribution to combating the teacher shortage with multi -hour custom work is theoretically large. If at all schools in primary education with a teacher shortage, all part -time teachers who want to work a day more will also do that, then that can yield around 1,600 FTEs. The current deficit in primary education is 7,700 FTEs. Even if ‘only’ a few percent of those part -time teachers start working more, this still ensures a substantial reduction in the teaching deficit, with a few hundred FTEs.
That is why the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is starting a follow -up pilot to see in practice what is actually the potential of multi -hour work. Teachers at participating primary schools can choose from multiple options: a sum of money on top of the salary of a day more, more flexibility in the work schedule, more leave outside the school holidays, money for childcare or doing other, non-linguistic tasks. Schools can rely on the scheme from 1 July. 15 million euros is available for this. The pilot will start next year, runs for three years and will be scientifically monitored in order to arrive at proven effective interventions.
Often more than expected
OCW also encourages working more hours in other ways. In this way it can become a fixed part of the conversation cycle between school leader and teacher. These conversations show that more is often possible than expected. Another option is an availability allowance: teachers get a money bonus when they are available on a day on which they are actually free, in order to be able to catch out.
Tackling teacher shortage
Increasing the number of hours worked is one of the ways to combat the shortage of teachers. The cabinet is doing everything it can. Last year, more than 2200 side entrants applied for the Side Inflow subsidy. More than 900 current educational assistants also receive financial support with a teacher training. Furthermore, a campaign started at the beginning of this year to make potential side entrants and study voters enthusiastic about a job in primary and secondary education and secondary vocational education. In addition, since this year there has been a nationwide network of education regions. In this, schools, teacher training courses, municipalities and educational staff work together in tackling staff shortages.