Northern Netherlands kicks off relay strike
With more than six thousand teachers, directors and oopers on strike, the Northern Netherlands kicked off the regional relay strikes of the PO front.
Picture: Fred van Diem
About 95 percent of the schools in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe were closed today. This in turn necessitated original solutions. The Groninger museum, for example, was free today for children and for a supervisor - on presentation of the child. Two primary schools in Drenthe had chartered grandparents to take care of their pupils.
Almost the entire team from many schools came to the strike meeting in the Groningen sugar factory. Teachers of OBS Akkrum from Friesland campaigned for 'better salaries, reduction of the workload and to make working in education attractive again'. "In short: we are here for all teachers and students in the Netherlands."
Useless
Teacher Jannie Kleefstra wants to spend less time on administration. "It's a lot and useless - I can do my job well without all those forms." And something can also be done about the salary, adds her colleague Edith Dijkstra. "Education has been on the zero line for a long time. The economy is doing better now, we can see that in education. Otherwise, young people would be better off working in the business world."
Investments must now be made to make working in education attractive again
Almost the entire team of twenty teachers from primary school De Viermaster from Veendam is also present. Director Albert Greven came along. "I see that things are not going well in education. We hardly get any replacements anymore, and the growth from the teacher training college is much too meager. It is five to twelve. I also miss appreciation for the profession of a teacher. to make working in education attractive again."
Third World
"Teachers have been given more and more tasks in recent years, but no extra salary", continues AObdirector Eugenie Stolk ahead of the strikers in Groningen. "You only see that in the developing world, in countries where workers are exploited."
The campaigns have been successful so far, says Stolk. "The money for reducing the workload has already been received, so you see: campaigning makes sense. But we are not there yet: extra money is really needed for salaries, so we are now continuing with regional campaigns. Because it is not to explain that the cabinet does listen to Shell, for example, and that the company gives tax reductions, but that the cabinet does not listen to education and invests money in it. There must be room for education. The Netherlands deserves it."
Valentine
Because of Valentine's Day, it made sense to make the link with love for education. This morning the AOb a big pink heart to education minister Arie Slob. The message was twofold. The AOb is pleased that the money to combat the workload in primary education is released sooner. An average school will receive an additional 34.000 euros next school year to help lighten the workload as it sees fit. At the same time, the largest education union, together with the PO front, continues to campaign for higher salaries.
That is why, at the end of the manifestation in the Groningen Sugar Factory, the strike baton was passed on to teaching staff from Utrecht, Flevoland and North Holland. They will stop working on March 14.
