MPs are fed up with 'tinkering' around Teachers' Scholarship
Members of Parliament Peter Kwint (SP) and Lisa Westerveld (GroenLinks) have submitted an amendment to make a one-off 12 million euros available for the Teachers' Grant, now that it appears once again that many teachers are left out of the game when applying for it.
Image: House of Representatives
A total of 1219 teachers are walking this year miss their purse. They were recently told by the implementing agency DUO that they do not receive a Teacher's Grant. These are teachers who would like to do a course, but have been rejected this year due to a budget cut and waiting lists.
Last summer turned out a reconstruction of the Education magazine that more than 2400 teachers missed the grant. This was due to political blunders, the reconstruction showed. This year there are more than 1200 teachers and waiting lists continue to exist. A big chunk has been taken out of the budget of the Teachers' Fair. In 2017, it was still 106 million euros. This year, 47,9 million euros was available.
Bizarre
AOb-driver Jelmer Evers called it earlier already 'bizarre and inexplicable'. He wants the ministry to still award the grants, especially because the ministry 'sprinkles money' in the context of the National Education Program (8,5 billion euros in total for all education sectors).
The two MPs agree. They served together an amendment in, an amendment to a bill (in this case the Spring Memorandum), to make 12 million euros from the National Education Program available for the Teachers' Scholarship so that all teachers who want it can take a course. 'In this way we make it possible to encourage and promote the professionalization of teachers', so it says in the Parliamentary Paper.
Politicians in The Hague have plundered the pot for this important regulation. And has been refusing to rectify this for ages now.
Soap
Member of Parliament Lisa Westerveld (GroenLinks) reacted with astonishment on Twitter to the news that there were again 1200 rejections. 'Unbelieveable. The soap surrounding the teachers' fair just repeats itself.' Despite the fact that the House is almost going on summer recess, it wants to find a solution quickly. "This kind of idiocy only motivates more."
Peter Kwint (SP) also finds it incomprehensible. 'Politics in The Hague has plundered the pot for this important regulation. And has been refusing to rectify this for ages now. Meanwhile, teachers who want to follow further training are the victims.'
Research
The ministers want to discuss the problems with the Teachers' Scholarship with teachers, school leaders and the House of Representatives, they write. They also conducted an evaluation study. They expect the results in the autumn.
