Ministry is relinquishing competence requirements in the event of a teacher shortage
In a guide for primary schools on the teacher shortage, the ministry is actually giving schools carte blanche for deploying unauthorized persons. And that is a 'very undesirable step', according to the AOb.
Image: Front cover of the Central Government brochure
Today, OCW presents the previously announced brochure 'A teacher shortage at your school?'for primary education. In it, the ministry explains in six chapters what you can do when the need arises and no one can take over the class. Crucial is chapter three, in which the ministry states that an unauthorized person in front of the class is the last resort, but can 'if the only other option is to send a class home'.
AObchairman Liesbeth Verheggen thinks this is undesirable. “You are not allowed to drive without a driver's license, you are not allowed to fly without a pilot's license, but you can teach without a diploma. It's a good thing that minister Slob is not minister of transport. It does show that he apparently doesn't think the quality of education for children in the Netherlands is that important."
This is already happening in practice anyway: teaching assistants who run groups independently, for example?
"Yes, but it's a completely different thing when the ministry says, 'It's okay, do it.' Then the fence is over. There is also no description of how long such a situation may last. The Education Inspectorate recently stated: six weeks. But we do not see that period in this brochure. It remains vague and that is dangerous. "
Why is that dangerous?
"Because we have all agreed that children in the Netherlands will be taught by a teacher who has been trained for this purpose. The quality of education is now simply abandoned. Moreover, the major problem, the teacher shortage, is becoming less and less visible when schools officially get the space to teach people without the right diploma - and therefore also without the required didactic and pedagogical experience."
OCW does say: only in case of force majeure.
"Yes, but what is that? What is the difference between force majeure, an emergency measure, an acute situation and a formation problem? These are all terms that are used in the brochure, but are not further defined and are therefore all practice can mean: there is no other option than to send the class home."
What should schools then?
Divide the class among other groups, merge with another class, or - as in the Zaan region - one limited four-day school week enter. Those are things that you are allowed to do within the Education Act. If that is no longer possible, there is unfortunately still the option of organizing childcare for the students at school or sending classes home. But we should not pretend that we want to provide education in the Netherlands with unauthorized people in front of the class."
That authority is quite a point for the union...
"Certainly. That also has to do with the attractiveness of the profession. We have been calling out to The Hague for ten years that a teacher shortage is coming. Make sure that the teaching profession appeals, that the salary is attractive, so that you do everything you can to to interest and retain people in the profession. You don't do that when you let go of the authority. Then you also abandon the status of the profession."
So, in the trash can, that guide?
"That is a tricky one, because chapter two neatly lists what you are allowed to do according to the law. We say: ignore the part of chapter three that deals with unauthorized persons. It is also unclear whether and when the inspectorate will enforce if a school chooses for unauthorized persons. The inspectorate still has to comply with the law. This also puts the school at risk of sanctions."
You can find the brochure from the Ministry of Education via this link .
