Slob wants teachers to contribute ideas about class size
Teachers and parents must be able to discuss the size of their primary school class. Education minister Arie Slob thinks that. He will therefore soon be submitting a bill to ensure this. It means that from now on, school administrators must request advice through the participation council about the class sizes at their school.
Picture: National government
The minister said that today during the debate on group size in the House of Representatives. According to Slob, such advice from the participation council is not without obligation. Teachers and parents can go to the disputes committee if the board disregards their advice. In this way, teaching staff will also be less likely to be surprised by decisions made by the board.
This morning the AOb al the letter from director Eugenie Stolk, who emphasizes precisely that teachers must have a say in the group size. Stolk therefore calls Slob's bill a 'very good start'. “We have long advocated more participation for teachers when it comes to important matters, such as class sizes. Teachers are experts. If they know the frameworks and the formation, they can think along very well about this and decide to make a group a combination group, for example.”
Still, the AOb rather to see the employee representatives of the participation council given the right of consent. “That is even stronger,” says Stolk.
Too weak
In the House of Representatives, GroenLinks MP Lisa Westerveld also wants this, she already indicated during the debate. “We want to have it even more stringent than Slob's bill is now,” says Westerveld. “Teachers really have to help make decisions and not just help. That is why the participation council must be given the right of consent. Teachers know which group size is best workable. ” D66 MP Paul van Meenen also said on Twitter that he is in favor of consent and not only for advisory rights.
During the debate it also became clear that Slob sees nothing in setting a maximum for the group size. 'Schools must decide for themselves how large the groups are. I'm not going to get involved in that," he said. He does, however, immediately call on boards to discuss group sizes with the participation councils, even though his amendment to the law has not yet been submitted.
