Teachers' grant is a hurdle
The Teachers' Fair, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, remains popular. Still, the budget for teachers who want to study alongside their job is not going up. Lack of study hours and replacement make graduation a hurdle.
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Improve the quality of education and make teaching more attractive. That was what Ronald Plasterk, then Minister of Education, wanted to achieve with the Teacher Action Plan, which he agreed with education unions and employers. One of the measures that quickly gained the most publicity was the Teachers' Fair. Now ten years old. Competent teachers were stimulated with a bag of money and leave to go back to school, for deepening or broadening.
The teacher shortage makes it even more difficult to arrange replacement teachers
Sjerp van der Ploeg, education researcher at Oberon, remembers it well and not only because of the campaign posters that the Ministry of Education launched into the Netherlands. “It was a very specific arrangement and immediately very concrete for the teacher,” he says. “The special thing was that it was something different from simply making further training resources available again. Now the teacher was in the lead: with the Teachers' Fair, responsibility was placed with the teacher himself. ”
Estimation error
Suddenly the choice was huge: teachers could follow courses, training courses, masters or bachelor's degrees. In the first year, the ministry expected between 700 and 1500 applications. Estimation error. "That number has been significantly exceeded with 7461 applications," it stated in a press release at the time. The available subsidy amount has been increased from 7 to 18 million euros.
In particular, the leave scheme, which gave schools money to replace a teacher on lecture days, sounded like music to the ears of both teachers and their directors. “That is what is so strong about the Lerarenbeurs: that teachers are structurally given time to develop further,” says Klaas van Veen, professor of educational science at the University of Groningen. “The collective labor agreement states that teachers may spend 10 percent of their time on further training, but we all know how that works in practice: an extra lesson here, a chat with parents there…” The Lerarenbeurs was to be the answer to that problem .
Every hour of study leave reduces the risk of study delay for teachers studying
An effective decision, because in 2015, seven years after its introduction, 39.329 teachers had made use of the grant. The leave scheme turned out to be effective. ResearchNed found that every hour of study leave reduced the risk of study delay among teachers studying. But the research bureau, which conducted research on behalf of the ministry, also concluded that in practice it is sometimes difficult for teachers to get enough study hours. 'Teachers who have not completed the training often look for the cause in time,' the researchers wrote. In addition, teachers indicated that at the start of the training, there must be 'fought to get the replacement properly in order'. AObresearch earlier this month found that one in eleven teachers attends primary school not recommended to attend a teacher's fair due to the lack of substitutes.
The dropouts also said they found it difficult to combine training with their work.
Stumbling block
Last year, that problem did not seem to be solved: 10.779 grants were applied for and 8905 awarded: considerably less than in previous years. A meta-study showed that 'time' was the biggest stumbling block. Or, rather: a lack thereof. Klaas van Veen: "School boards should make better agreements about this, but in practice we also see that the teacher shortage makes it even more difficult to arrange replacement teachers."
We have to fight to get the replacement in order
Various evaluations over the years have referred to the term 'hurdles'. In addition to arranging replacements and getting enough time, applying for the grant (proving that you meet all the conditions) was also quite a hurdle. Just like the graduation itself. So with only money and the promise of time, you are far from there.
In addition, the rules surrounding the grant changed when the Central Planning Board calculated that the majority of the education and training courses financed with the Teachers' Grant would have been followed without a grant. Van der Ploeg: “About 10 percent of the teachers received a grant between 2008 and 2015. So half of them say 5 percent of the teachers have started training because of that grant. ”
Professionalization process
From 2012, therefore, only bachelor's or master's programs could be followed for the money. Courses shorter than one year could be paid from the regular in-service training budget. Van der Ploeg calls it “A professionalization move”. “It all became a bit more serious and less informal. That's good too, because a lot of money is involved. ” Since 2013, temporary workers have also been able to receive the grant, as have ambulant counselors.
The Teachers' Fair is now a phenomenon. Okay, probably no one can get all the conditions and rules out of their heads (each teacher can receive up to $ 7000 a year, for example), but few teachers will frown when they hear the word.
With only money and the promise of time, you are far from there
In fact, the fair mainly elicited positive reactions, according to a survey on a Facebook page for teachers. The word 'grateful' came up several times despite the fact that it can be tough at times. 'A super scheme', Lydia Janse writes, 'without that scheme I would never have started my Dutch qualification!' Laura Wildemann, who works in secondary education, wrote: 'I could afford the Master's in Learning and Innovation. Very nice arrangement that allowed me to work on my professional development. ' Van der Ploeg: "And don't forget the unintended side effect that, since teachers received the Teachers' Grant, there was more of the regular in-service training budget left for education support staff and managers."
But will the quality of education and teachers also improve due to such a grant? Admittedly, this is difficult to research, says professor of educational science Klaas van Veen. “I do believe that such a study strengthens the lessons and teachers. It is always good for teachers to be able to delve into something. It brings you new ideas, inspiration. Teachers, but also students need that. ”
New developments
According to ResearchNed, teachers indicated in 2015 that they felt that they had started teaching better quality. Directors recognized that image. Van der Ploeg notes that the grant also helps teachers to prepare better for new developments in their profession. Typical example: the master Special Educational Needs (SEN). More than two years ago, primary school teachers used the grant in almost two thirds of the applications for that study. A doubling compared to 2008. Van der Ploeg: “They made that choice because of the introduction of appropriate education. Teachers wanted to know how to deal with children with extra support needs and I agree with them: with the right knowledge you will be more confident in the classroom. ”
Better agreements must be made in advance between the teacher and the management.
Another reason teachers train is to make their career one boost
to give, says Van der Ploeg. Think of a salary increase, another position. A quarter to a third of the grant applicants were given other tasks within the school (secondary education 22 percent, primary education 32 percent). In terms of salary, 16 percent of scholarship applicants in primary education indicated that they had received a salary increase, and 15 percent in secondary education. 70 percent of this group stated that this is due to the Teachers' Fair.
Nevertheless, Van Veen thinks that those percentages could be higher. He believes that career opportunities for scholarship applicants should be better organized after graduation. “Not every school responds well to it,” he says. “Sometimes it is: Okay, nice training like that, thank you and keep going. A waste of effort and knowledge. Moreover, you run the risk of losing your teachers. Better agreements must be made in advance between the teacher and the management. ”
But one thing is beyond question: Van Veen and Van der Ploeg hope that the Teachers' Fair will continue to exist. Van Veen: “Teachers remain eager to learn. You have to organize that. ” Van der Ploeg: “If you look at Plasterk's goal at the time to make the course more attractive to potential teachers, I cannot say with certainty that it really worked.” But he is sure that the grant has made the profession more attractive to current teachers. “More knowledge, a different job in education, better learning to teach: everything pull factors that give teachers, schools and students a breath of fresh air. Thanks to such a grant you keep a teacher in education longer. ”
