127 primary schools and 89 secondary schools will try out new ideas in so-called ‘experimental gardens’ to attract teachers. Some will test more flexible school teams, adjust school hours or limit the teachers’ assignment to 38 hours. Others will give teachers the opportunity to become more professional or specialize in certain subjects, or experiment with job sharing, whereby people in practice come to teach a few extra hours or part-time.
According to Weyts, this is the first time that so much personnel legislation has been loosened to make new experiments possible. “This is not a singular solution to the teacher shortage, but it can help to transcend the war of positions,” says the minister in a press release. “Certain ideas have been discussed for decades: we are now going to test what works. And what works well in practice, we want to roll out in all schools.”
The project is part of the broader fight against the teacher shortage that has plagued education for years. Earlier, there was also the prospect of a permanent appointment, seniority for lateral entrants, more financial flexibility for schools, better initial guidance and the teacher’s bonus.