'Teachers offside when reviewing teaching privileges'

Tekst Webredactie - Rob Voorwinden - 4 maart 2020 - 3 Minuten om te lezen

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The educational qualifications committee, which started last month, is going to overhaul the system of qualifications for teachers in primary and secondary education and in senior secondary vocational education. There are a few individual teachers on that committee, but there is no structural participation from the professional group - for example via the trade unions.

Legal

"The committee will advise which students in which school types you can teach which lessons," says AObchairman Eugenie Stolk. "That touches the core of our profession. From a legal point of view, the professional group of teachers is responsible for this. It is therefore not correct that the minister sets up a committee outside the professional group."

The new powers are useful for employers, but not necessarily good for the quality of education

The fact that such participation has not been arranged is the first mistake, the union writes in a letter to the Lower House. Furthermore, the AOb a problem with the assignment given to the committee. "It is quite obvious that the committee will follow the advice of the Education Council, Make way for teachers, has to work out. That advice is also in the first sense of the website of the committee called," says Stolk.

Stacking

In that advice, the Education Council states that there is one broad pedagogical-didactic basis that is the same for all teachers. On top of that basis, teachers can obtain a license for a combination of educational sectors and subject areas. As a result, there are many different types of compact powers that you as a teacher could stack more easily.

Unclear

From one AOb-survey However, it has already become apparent that teachers have little appetite for such a drastic change in the system of powers. "The Education Council thinks that with their proposal, teachers will have a more attractive profession and will be more widely employable. Teachers think differently," says AObpolicy officer Marieke Jansma. “It is unclear whether a change in the competence system makes the profession more attractive, especially if the opinion of teachers has not been taken into account in the decision. Teachers indicate that the profession is becoming more attractive due to fewer teaching hours, a better salary, better management in MBO and - very important - a lower workload. ”

From one AObsurvey showed that teachers are not keen on such a drastic change in the system of powers

Team competence

Furthermore, according to the AOb unauthorized teaching should be avoided as much as possible, and care must also be taken not to stretch the so-called team authority. The latter authority has been specially created for teachers who provide cross-curricular education in the lower years of secondary education. The team as a whole is authorized to provide cross-curricular education for which there is no appropriate authority.

Shortage courses

However, research shows that this team competence is also used as a remedy against the teacher shortage, to be able to deploy teachers in the shortage subjects. "That is also the general risk of new powers," says Stolk. "They are useful for employers, but not necessarily good for the quality of education."

It is really not necessary to overhaul the entire system, because then you also create new problems

The latter must therefore be and remain the most important yardstick for a possible change of powers. Stolk: "Look at what works well in the current system and find solutions for what does not work well. It is really not necessary to overhaul the entire system, because then you will also create new problems."

And most importantly: involve the teachers. Stolk: "Now a bunch of experts are going to talk about the basics of the teaching profession. Teachers themselves have very useful things to say about that. Take them seriously."

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