Culture teachers against the teacher shortage
Cultura Nederland wants to put creative subject teachers in front of classes that would otherwise be sent home. The AOb sees this solution as a patch.
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“It is ideal for the school. Children are taught in a different, fun way. We see this as a temporary solution, until a permanent teacher is in front of the class again. We do not support the fact that students are sent home," says Yannick van Balen, founder and owner of Cultura Nederland.
Creative
Cultura Nederland has a pool of one hundred and fifty subject teachers from various cultural disciplines who work in and around Amsterdam. Instead of sending classes home, schools can also choose to put a creative substitute in front of the class if there are shortages.
'You can't dance all day, it's too tiring'
What does a subject teacher do when he is hired? “We actually give a workshop and subject teachers run their own program. In doing so, the wishes of the school are taken into account,” says Van Balen. “But we come up with the whole thing, because you can't dance all day either, that's way too tiring.”
Creative subject teachers as a solution to the teacher shortage. "It's not a structural solution, it's a plaster," says Eugenie Stolk, AOb-driver. “The medicine is just more teachers.”
It's nice to have something of a solution when the need is high
'We made use of the creative substitute teachers a number of times, because the alternative was to send the children home and we didn't want that. It's nice to have something of a solution when the need is high', writes Marit de Graaff, deputy director of the Osdorpse Montessori school in Amsterdam.
Cultura Nederland is paid by the school and schools can use the pot for reducing work pressure for this. “If the school team agrees with this,” says Stolk, “then that's allowed.” According to Van Balen, schools can also use other resources, such as their own budget, parental contributions or voucher funds.
You have to keep an eye on whether things are going well
'I am in favor of someone in the classroom who has been trained for this. A creative subject teacher is not the same as a teacher', writes deputy director De Graaff, 'it doesn't always run smoothly. You have to keep an eye on whether things are going well.'
Accident
A subject teacher is not responsible for any accidents. If something goes wrong, the responsibility lies with a qualified teacher from the school, who teaches close to the substitute teacher and can easily drop by.
