The teacher shortage: how do we solve it?

• Standards for how big the teaching task can be.
• A definition of the surcharge factor (in secondary education).
• A maximum of administration and other tasks.
• Balance actual hours worked with the size of the appointment.

Smaller class sizes are high on the wish list of teaching staff, because that means:

• better education
• more attention per student
• more job satisfaction for teachers and support staff
• less dropout among teaching staff

There are an average of three pupils in each class who do not receive extra support, but do need it. That is why there must be a national standard for basic support and sufficient space for special education. 

“You are not in education for your salary, but for your passion''. We can no longer hear this sentence. People in education work with their heart and soul and do everything for their students. But it is nonsense to say that you should not be well rewarded for this, with the right fringe benefits and a permanent job for permanent work in the right scale.

That is why salaries must rise in line with inflation. There must also be a single collective labor agreement for primary and secondary education, in which we negotiate wages directly with the ministry.

We see that many students take lessons independently too early and do not receive the right guidance or compensation. Starting teachers are also not always properly supervised. This increases the risk of premature failure and that is a shame. The AOb want:

• An internship allowance for students on educational programs (mbo, hbo, wo) of 750 euros per month, in proportion to the number of days you work.
• For students who are doing their final internship, an apprenticeship contract with a suitable salary.
• Clear agreements about the tasks that students can and cannot do and what guidance they are entitled to, both for students and starters.