Inspection: teacher shortage threatens quality and increases inequality
'The Inspectorate takes into account that the teacher shortage will eventually be reflected in the assessment of the quality of schools'. The Education Inspectorate writes this today in the latest edition of the State of Education. According to the inspectorate, the shortage is 'a risk to education and society' and increases inequality.
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They are alarming words that appeared in the today State of Education 2019 that are repeated over and over. The shortage is referred to as a 'direct threat to the quality of schools' for primary education, secondary education and MBO and 'one of the greatest risks in the education system'. Moreover, the consequences of the shortage are unevenly distributed.
Inequality of opportunity
For example, schools in the Randstad have the greatest problems finding teachers. And the shortage manifests itself most strongly across the country in schools where many children with a migration background attend, special education and pre-vocational secondary education. 'Worrying', the inspectorate notes, because it contributes 'to an increase in the inequality of opportunities.'
The teacher shortage contributes to an increase in the inequality of opportunities, writes the Education Inspectorate in the State of Education 2019
Last year, the inspectorate was even less concerned about a declining quality of education, then the State of Education warned for lack of time for quality improvement. According to the inspectorate, all signals are now red and that is why a sustainable solution to the shortage must be worked on, Inspector General Monique Vogelzang suggests in the report. "The teacher shortage cannot be solved by individual teachers, school leaders or administrators." According to the inspectorate, this requires cooperation between several parties, including schools, boards, teacher training courses, local authorities and the national government.
Red button
"It is good that the Education Inspectorate is now also pressing the red button," says AObchairman Liesbeth Verheggen about this. "We are also very concerned. Time and time again everyone concludes that the teacher shortage is getting bigger and more serious. We all face a major social problem. It is good if we all look at a structural solution, but that is not enough."
Time and time again everyone concludes that the teacher shortage is getting bigger and more serious. We all face a major social problem.
Because, as Verheggen looks ahead, "the start of the new school year is already four months away and we are not ready for that. A lot has to be done, other than a government that just says 'I have no extra money'. This report, 40 thousand people on the Malieveld, schools that cancel classes, children that are divided and sometimes see more than eight different teachers in a year. Action must be taken now. Everyone sees it, but too little is happening."
Unauthorized
The inspectorate sees in primary and special education that a lot is being asked of teachers, directors and support staff to keep things going. This will further increase the already considerable workload. In secondary education, unqualified teachers and teachers with different qualifications are increasingly being deployed. This has a 'visible negative effect on the exam results', writes the inspectorate. Most unauthorized teaching is done in pre-vocational secondary education (8,5 percent), while the average is 4,3 percent.
The problems will increase in secondary education, now that the Inspectorate sees that registrations for teacher training courses for shortage subjects are falling faster than for non-deficient subjects. However, the number of side entrants is increasing. It is striking that the Inspectorate notes that schools that pay better teachers also perform better.
Also read: 'A lot of educational innovation, little effect' which contains the conclusions of the Education Inspectorate about all innovative educational concepts in the Netherlands.
