Despite dire teacher shortages, the Minister makes no commitment
Education Minister Arie Slob is not moving, despite the call for structural funding and the dire teacher shortage. In the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, the minister mainly discussed the progress of his action plan against the teacher shortage. For the money he referred to the conversation the unions have with Prime Minister Rutte next week.
Picture: National government
Slob already hinted that it will not be about structural money and that the conversation between Prime Minister Rutte, the employers and the unions will be conducted 'within financial frameworks'.
During the debate in the House of Representatives this afternoon, the focus was on the teacher shortage and the authority of teachers. Prior to this, the AOb a letter sent to MPs in which the union advocates giving priority to the teacher shortage in the debate.
Occasional teaching
Various parties raised the issue of teacher shortage. PvdA Member of Parliament Kirsten van den Hul pointed to the current budget surplus of billions of euros. "At the same time, children are sent home," says Van den Hul. "Students see different faces in front of the class and schools close because of the shortage." Her message was clear: structural money is needed to solve the teacher shortage. "We cannot turn the tide with incidental money. Unless the minister wants teachers to teach incidentally."
We cannot turn the tide with incidental money. Unless the minister wants teachers to teach incidentally
Member of Parliament Lisa Westerveld (GroenLinks) called the teacher shortage the "biggest crisis in education". "We all think that the teacher shortage is the biggest problem," said Westerveld. "Then we could make the political choice together to pull out all the stops."
Surpassed
Slob himself also sees the problems with the teacher shortage and that "there are now three times more vacancies than in 2013". He did, however, particularly emphasize the progress made by his action plan. "No mini-successes," said the minister.
He cited the increased number of lateral entrants as an example. “Even our ambitious ambitions have been surpassed,” said the minister. He promised to look for extra resources and to honor all subsidy applications from schools for lateral entrants. “Yes, the bag of money is empty, but I'm happy about that. This is just good news.” The goal of the Replacement Fund to help a thousand people on unemployment benefits back into education before 2021 is also progressing positively, the minister reports. More than six hundred unemployment benefits workers have now returned to work. "It's no reason to raise the flag, but it's great that this just works," says Slob.
Obstruction
The minister understands that more money is being asked for, but called the salaries in education "quite good" during the debate. He pointed to the growing number of lateral entrants in primary education. "Apparently the salary is not an obstacle for them." In addition, the education minister pointed to his approach in the region and the solution to local problems because regions cooperate better. He wants to continue that line.
Register
During the debate, several MPs hammered on the registration of the emergency solutions that schools are taking due to the teacher shortage. The AOb pleaded before this too. Slob said that it is "incredibly complex" and that he wants to work with reliable figures.
Next week on October 16, the unions and employers will talk with Prime Minister Rutte about structural extra money for education.
