Broad teaching qualification advice leads to a lot of discussion
The advice of the Education Council to introduce one broad basic competence for teachers leads to much discussion. AObchairman Liesbeth Verheggen spoke yesterday of a 'far-reaching and broad advice that will lead to a lot of discussion'.
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The government's advisory body, the Education Council, released yesterday the advice: 'Make way for teachers' outwardly and advocates one broad basic competence for all teachers. In addition to the basic qualification, teachers can specialize in certain subjects or in certain groups of students. It provides more career opportunities and it helps to combat the teacher shortage, according to the Education Council.
Critical
On the Facebook page of the AOb teachers respond critically. For example, Yvette Peters writes that she thinks it is a 'bad idea'. The basic competences are very different in primary education than in secondary education. 'So you cannot say that a general basis can be given for teaching students from 4 to 17 years old.' In her opinion, it is the wrong approach to make up for the shortage. It is better to invest in making the profession more attractive, for example by reducing the workload.
Simone Penders writes that she fears the advice will erode the profession. "This sounds like trying to push all the blocks through the same squares." Sander Cuperus also wonders whether it is a good idea and whether he would do the teacher training again if he also had some elementary education in it. 'In addition, the general basic time comes at the expense of something else, depth and expertise, for example.'
This sounds like all the blocks trying to push through the same squares
Revolutionary
On the news platform Bron of the Fontys Hogescholen in Brabant, Yvonne Visser, director of the Fontys teacher training college, calls it 'revolutionary advice'. 'If we can deploy teachers more widely, that is a solution for many schools.' She does wonder how the council wants to guarantee that specific professional knowledge is not lost.
The representatives of the school boards, the primary education council and secondary education council, are positive about the advice. The primary school boards endorse the idea of the Education Council that didactic and pedagogical skills form the basis of the profession. 'The recommendations offer opportunities to make the teaching profession more attractive in the long term to a larger group of interested parties.' It does, however, require major changes in training. Primary school boards also welcome the fact that the Education Council makes it a condition that the salary difference between the sectors disappear.
De VO council finds the advice is in line with the idea of updating the current system of powers - which is now perceived as too rigid. According to the council, the report is a good starting point to get started.
Also read: 'Education council wants a basic qualification for teachers'
