Leidsche primary school cannot find a teacher and is canceling group 8
Due to the teacher shortage, the Joppenszschool in Leiden is forced to close group eight. The children are divided among other primary schools of the foundation, to finish the rest of the school year there. The school's team is largely located at Malieveld today.
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"Deeply sad", says Frits Hoekstra, director of Stichting Confessional Education Leiden (SCOL), which includes the Joppenszschool. The eighth grade teacher found a job closer to home and didn't want to pass up the opportunity. He announced his departure during the Christmas holidays. “I understand his choice,” said Hoekstra. But a new teacher cannot be found and the emergency solutions used by the school have stopped working for about three weeks.
We've tried everything
Hoekstra: "You try everything. Have teachers from other groups take turns teaching group eight. A permanent teaching assistant is added for stability. But that is not the quality you want to offer and that this class also needs. There are a few students with behavioral problems. It really became too restless for them."
Grief
So the parents were informed last week. Hoekstra: "They mainly reacted sadly. You want your child to be able to finish the year in his trusted group. We have also never seen teachers leave during the year. Now that happens regularly. The parents understand that we our backs are against the wall and that we also want the best for the children."
Fifteen children have to go to another primary school one month before the Cito test
One month before the Cito test, fifteen of the eighteen children in grade eight have to move to the highest grade of another SCOL school, as close as possible to where the children live. Three join group 7 of the Joppenszschool and follow a different program there. A number of children have already started getting used to this week and will start at their new school on Monday.
Musical
"Together with the parents, we are still looking for a way to close the year as a group later. Fortunately, we had not started the musical yet, but hopefully we will find an alternative."
The foundation has had all kinds of vacancies open for months. "A teacher for group 8 can start working for us right away. And if he or she functions well, a permanent appointment is ready. But no one responds to vacancies anymore. We are on the edge of the center of Leiden: that means, for example, pay parking costs. Things like that now play a role. The flush is incredibly thin. People who wanted to come to Leiden by train a year ago have found a job closer to home. I fully understand that."
We fully support the strike
Almost all SCOL primary schools are closed today. The teachers travel to the Malieveld to indicate how great the need is. Hoekstra: "We fully support the strike." Will you continue to pay? "No, that is a principled choice. Striking also means that wages are withheld. What we do do is return the money that we do not pay out that day to the schools. They can decide what to do with it ."
Wonderful plans
Just as the schools are allowed to decide what to do with the workload resources? "Indeed, wonderful plans have been made for that too. In practice, the people we have been able to appoint from those resources are constantly being replaced. There really needs to be a structural, better solution for the teacher shortage."
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