Teachers don't want major changes in powers
Education staff do not need a new competence system. The teacher wants to be deployable as widely as possible within his field, also in view of the teacher shortage. This is evident from a survey completed by nearly 15 thousand teachers.
Picture: Pikist
The majority of the respondents say they are well trained for their profession. In primary education, for example, more than 90 percent think that the study program gave them enough baggage to work with grades 3 to 8.
Preparation could be better for teaching in the nursery classes of primary education, special education and practical education in VMBO and MBO. There is currently insufficient training on this, say respondents who work with these groups of students.
There is no teacher waiting for a whole new system
Henrik de Moel is a daily director for the AOb, one of the unions that launched the survey this summer: “What I read clearly is that a discussion about drastic changes in powers is undesirable, but also unnecessary. There is a lot to be gained from adapting existing courses, but there is really no teacher waiting for a whole new system. ”
Drastic
Nevertheless, a drastic intervention was something the Education Council advised in 2018. The council believes that new and joint powers make teaching more attractive. The Education Council introduced policy research together with Regioplan at the beginning of this year a new type of teacher: the cluster teacher. He could teach in several related subjects, such as languages, exact or social subjects.
Such a cluster teacher can have added value in the VMBO basic and framework. But the respondents do not see the usefulness of this type of teacher for total secondary education and MBO.
If this path is followed, the teacher shortage will only increase further
De Moel hopes that the massively completed survey will dismiss the plans for, for example, team competence and a competence to teach pupils aged ten to fourteen years: “What became clear in the open comments is that teachers actually fear that if this path is followed, the teacher shortage will only increase further. ”
Growth opportunities
Regarding the staff shortage, the respondents see more value in more money, more appreciation, less administration, smaller classes and career opportunities for teachers who have no ambition to become a school leader.
You can get the complete report download here. It states per sector - special education and teacher educators separately - how the respondents think about competences and training.
In 2019, education staff also indicated that they did not support the advice of the Education Council. Read the results of the survey last year.
