The Commission is scrutinizing the powers of primary, secondary and secondary vocational education
Education minister Arie Slob wants new powers in primary, secondary and secondary vocational education. He is therefore setting up a committee headed by Paul Zevenbergen to work on this job. Slob hopes to share the first concrete proposals before the summer.
Image: Front cover of regional plan report
The minister recently announced this in a letter to the Lower House. In addition to being an economist and former teacher Zevenbergen, the committee consists of teachers, school leaders and teacher educators. They will consider new competences and the question of which pedagogical and didactic requirements should apply to all teachers. The committee will also advise on how the current teacher training programs can tie in with the new powers.
Too complex
Slob would like to take over the powers. According to him, this is necessary to maintain the quality of education and to ensure that teachers have attractive career prospects. In addition, he thinks the current system of powers is too complex, because many regulations and exceptions are currently possible. In secondary education, for example, the Minister believes that the powers are too rigidly attached to subjects. The committee must come up with the first concrete proposals before the summer and the momentum continues after that. At the end of this year, there must be a final advice so that Slob can tackle the powersystem during this cabinet term.
Slob finds the current system of powers too complex
Although the committee is going to look at the powers in three educational sectors, Slob already instructed research agency Regioplan to review the powers in secondary education. He also sent this investigation to the Lower House. Just like Slob, the researchers from Regioplan conclude that there is a need in secondary education for more 'flexibility and a more accessible system'.
Reconnaissance
In the report the researchers provide an exploration of the possibilities in secondary education. For example, they differentiate between current competences and propose three types of teachers. The broad pedagogical group teacher (comparable to PABO graduates) for practical education and VSO, for example. The subject specialists for, in particular, HAVO, VWO and for vocational subjects in VMBO (this is comparable to the current professional competences).
A whole new addition is the 'cluster expert': teachers who can teach several related subjects, such as languages or science subjects. This new type of teacher is actually an intermediate form between the group teacher and subject specialist. These cluster experts would be suitable for teaching in VMBO and the first two years of HAVO and VWO. These teachers can therefore be used more widely in the subjects, but narrower in the school types than the current first and second grade teachers.
In addition, Regioplan asks specific attention for the support needs of students in practical education and VSO. They propose the choice to create a separate competence or to make it a specialization within a competence.
Education Board
In November 2018, the Education Council, the government's advisory body, published a report about powers. A far-reaching proposal was made, calling for a single broad base, complemented by a clustering of educational sectors and subjects, for example for the young child, or pupils aged ten to fourteen, combined with gamma or beta subjects, so that teachers in different educational sectors be able to get started and teach several school subjects.
Little support
In the survey that the AOb Afterwards, among the members (6300 completed the survey), it appeared that the teachers had little appetite for a drastic change in the powers and training of teachers. There appeared to be little support for the plans. AOb-members do not see a change in authority and teacher training programs. Less teaching hours, better salary and better management in MBO are desirable. There was also a lot of difference in wishes per educational sector and per type of teacher.
There are fears that changing powers will be seen as a way to address teacher shortages
AObdirector Henrik de Moel says that he is not against an evaluation of the authorization system, but emphasizes that any changes should never be at the expense of the quality requirements set for teachers. “Well-trained teachers are the guarantee for good education. There is a fear that changing competencies is seen as a way to tackle teacher shortages. ” According to De Moel, the members are currently clearly indicating that the priorities lie with working conditions. "We will therefore always submit all proposals to our members first."
