Everything about freedom in your work

The professional statute contains agreements about respecting the teacher's professional space. The statute stipulates that teachers must be consulted on matters that directly affect education. Since August 1, 2018, it has been mandatory for every school in primary, secondary and vocational education to draw up a professional statute as teachers together with the school management and/or board.

Teachers can best indicate what they need to do their work properly. This benefits the quality of education. Taking control and experiencing autonomy also ensures lower work pressure and more job satisfaction. 

The Teacher Profession Act states that the teacher is responsible for the subject content, didactics, pedagogy and assessing student performance. What this control means in practice is laid down in the professional statute. This means that you agree with colleagues and the school board and write down:

• That the teacher determines what the content of the teaching material is, which resources are used and how the teaching material is presented.  
• That a teacher determines what the pedagogical-didactic approach is and how this approach is applied, such as in student guidance and contact with parents.
• That teachers determine how they maintain their competence as part of the team.
• The agreements in a professional statute must fit within the educational policy of the school.

Sometimes there is the idea that the professional statute is about professionalization, norms and values, culture or even team development. And that teachers should 'earn' or 'live up to' their professional space. This is not right!

The professional statute is precisely intended to safeguard the professional space of teachers. There is no question of having to earn that space. It is a condition for the teacher to be able to function.

Teachers must be involved in a timely manner in educational decisions that directly affect their work. Recording agreements on both subjects, safeguarding professional space and involving teachers in decisions in a timely manner, that is the function of the professional statute.

• See the statute as an opportunity to perform the profession better and more autonomously. So that everything is no longer determined for you, but that as a teacher you take control.
• Make an action plan: who will supervise the process, what does it look like, what is the goal. For example, you can choose to set up a teacher council. This is a representation of teachers that regularly consults with the board or management of the school.
• Ask for sufficient time and space to discuss with colleagues and determine which appointments you want to include.
• Involve as many colleagues as possible in drawing up this to ensure sufficient support.
• Keep the topic on the agenda. Make agreements about when the statute will be evaluated and discuss the professional scope and involvement in decisions annually, for example during a study day.

Under the Teacher Profession Act, the school board is obliged to take the basic principles of good teaching into account when drawing up and implementing policy. The school board is also obliged to record agreements with teachers about their professional space in a professional statute. If a school board does not do this, you can raise the alarm with the inspectorate. It is the task of the Education Inspectorate to check whether schools have a professional status.

As a school leader, administrator or rector, you have more support from your teachers in important decisions by using a professional statute in practice. All teachers are properly involved in the educational policy at school.

Teachers' awareness of their own professional space ensures more job satisfaction within the team.

And in addition, establishing clear rules and responsibilities ensures a healthy working relationship between teachers and school leaders/rectors/school boards. By protecting the autonomy of the staff you create a positive working environment.  

The situation is slightly different in secondary vocational education. A professional statute was agreed there in 2009 by social partners (MBO council and trade unions) at sector level. Additional powers are granted to the works council in this statute. Institutions can themselves follow up on this statute; but this may not conflict with the regulations in the overarching professional statute. The works council (or) has the right of consent to the professional statute that is drawn up at institutional level.

Unlike in primary and secondary education, the works council does have a formal role in agreements about the professional scope of secondary vocational education teachers (CBA-MBO: 'professional employees').

The Works Council also has the right to consent to the work consultation regulations (CBA art. 13.4). In this policy, an institution records how teachers are involved in policy that affects the practice of their profession. This regulation also regulates the say of the teachers, in particular regarding the pedagogical-didactic approach. The starting point is that there is good coordination between the say of the teachers and the participation of the Works Council.

The law states that the competent authority draws up the professional statute in consultation with teachers. Participation has no formal role in the creation of a professional statute. 

The (p)mr can of course inquire about the state of affairs. In this way, the mr can contribute to a careful process that guarantees involvement and support among teachers.

The (p)mr may also, based on the right of initiative (Article 6 paragraph 2 of the Wms), put the creation of the statute on the agenda and thus propose it. After all, the school is obliged to have a professional statute.

The (p)mr can also suggest a teachers' council (see downloads). The school management can consult with such a council about the content of the professional statute.