Prinsjesdag does not bring any extra investments for education
The education budget does not entail any additional investment for education. The government will not spend anything extra on the acute teacher shortages in primary and secondary education in 2020. AObchairman Liesbeth Verheggen is 'incredibly deeply disappointed'.
Picture: National government
“The best subject in the world deserves good pay, and less work pressure, but this cabinet stubbornly insists that extra money is not needed to get more teachers,” says Verheggen. "All children in the Netherlands have the right to a good education, it is incomprehensible that politicians do not see this."
De education budget in which the cabinet announces the plans for 2020, will not bring extra money for education. Despite previous strikes and calls from education unions and employers an emergency kit.
For example, the previously announced 'efficiency discount', a cut affecting all education sectors, will remain in place and this amount will increase from 2020 million euros to 137 million euros from 183 onwards.
AOb-chairman Verheggen: 'The most beautiful subject in the world deserves a good salary and less work pressure, but this cabinet stubbornly insists that extra money is not necessary to get more teachers'
Side entrants
Just like in 2019, the cabinet will allocate 21,3 million euros for side entrants next year to get new teachers in the classroom. 4 million euros of this is especially for the side intake of teachers for science and technology teachers in MBO who are seriously short. This is not an additional investment either, but was previously announced. In the ministry's press release, the minister once again mentions the regional approach to combat the teacher shortage, but this was already known.
The only thing the government will allocate once-only money for in 2020 is the 'setback' in student numbers, which are higher than expected. Only this year will colleges and universities be compensated for this, so that they will not suffer from the higher student numbers. That is not fixed for the years thereafter.
Action Calendar
De AOb has been campaigning for more investment in education for months. 40 thousand teachers also went on strike last March on the Malieveld and at the start of the school year, the union asked for attention for the teacher shortage. Verheggen: "We are going to survey our members to see what the willingness to take action is doing now that the cabinet is abandoning education again."
The large pile of budget documents also shows that retention in education is increasing, but that 'stacking' is decreasing. For example, fewer young people go from VMBO to HAVO, and fewer from HAVO to VWO.
Prior to Budget Day, education was still mentioned as a subject that could also claim a share in the 'growth fund'. But that is not what the Budget is about anymore. These are 'projects for the benefit of long-term earning capacity', for which a 'strict selection' will also apply.
Part-time jobs
The cabinet does want more women to work longer, including in education. An interdepartmental policy study will be conducted in the autumn. Because even though Dutch women are satisfied with their part-time job, according to the Miljoennota you can also see this 'as underutilisation of human capital and female talent'.
