Primary education directors put on the table 10 proposals against teacher shortages: “Reward teachers who work full-time extra” | Education

According to the directors of the various school umbrella organisations, there are various causes for the teacher shortage. For example, young people hardly choose the profession of teacher anymore and many primary school teachers are older than fifty, which means that many of them are or will be retiring. Moreover, many teachers work part-time, which means that many people have to be replaced, and young teachers sometimes give up quickly.

In the letter, the directors emphasize that they do not hold the minister responsible for the problem, but they do ask for solutions. “If the teacher shortage continues to increase drastically, we will be forced to close classes or schools in the future and we must avoid that at all times, so that our parents are not again (as in times of corona) held responsible for the care and care of children. education of their children,” it sounds.

The directors themselves put ten proposals on the table to tackle the teacher shortage. For example, they want teachers who work full-time to be rewarded extra with, for example, a higher wage, a premium or fringe benefits, “so that fewer requests are received for a leave system, but so that, for example, home or other help can be purchased with a higher wage.” . The directors also point out that the leave systems can be applied for more and more flexibly, making it more difficult to find replacements. And they question the maternity protection leave within pre-primary education, “while the teacher can function perfectly”.

NODB also proposes three diplomas for teachers: teacher-assistant, teacher-bachelor and teacher-master. This should increase the appeal of the profession and improve the quality even further. “Obviously we expect that every diploma is paid fairly according to its own level and responsibility,” it sounds. Following the Scandinavian model, the directors ask that every teacher has a teacher assistant in the classroom, so that the tasks can be divided and the combination work-life becomes feasible again.

Fourth, the directors ask that unfilled replacements be converted into points or operating grants. Today the funds will not reach the schools if teachers cannot be replaced, but the principals want the schools to receive the funds so that they can still hire staff – “even if they do not have the required or deemed sufficient diploma”. In addition to those resources, the principals request that the primary education staff envelope be allocated via an uncoloured points envelope, so that the schools can choose for themselves which profiles to adopt. “This system will in any case offer opportunities to get more people to education and increase the policy-making capacity of schools,” it sounds.

The directors also propose to supplement the teacher training with a year (paid) internship, so that the teachers can gain more practical experience. And lateral entrants should be able to take 20 years of seniority with them from other sectors. The directors also ask that diplomas from external care providers who work with primary school children, such as speech therapists, are deemed sufficient to teach, provided they receive appropriate training through educational leave.

Teachers who have been made available for their retirement (equivalent to a bridging pension) but who still want to continue working, should also be able to earn unlimited additional income, like teachers who have already retired. Today, those teachers under 65 are allowed to earn a maximum of 8,634 euros per year. “That usually means that they can barely work 4/24 in a primary school”, it sounds.

Finally, to tackle the shortage of principals in primary schools, the principals are arguing for a larger, uncoloured points envelope. Secondary schools, for example, receive more points per pupil than primary schools, with which they can organize administrative support. That difference has to disappear to keep the job interesting and feasible. The directors also ask that the follow-up process of a starting director be extended from next year.

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