Minister wants to allow unauthorized persons in newcomer education
Pupils who have just arrived in the Netherlands and follow education for newcomers must be able to receive lessons from unqualified teachers. Because of the waiting lists and staff shortages, education minister Dennis Wiersma wants to arrange this with a new law before the summer.
Image: © Ministry of Education, Culture and Science
Qualified teachers provide the best education AObchairman Tamar van Gelder. "There is a crisis, but maybe the minister should do something else and focus on ensuring that everyone wants to go into education and continue to work there."
Yesterday sent Wiersma (VVD) presented his bill to the House of Representatives. He urges that it be dealt with quickly so that it is effective from the new school year, in September.
Fewer teaching hours, unauthorized persons
The proposal makes it possible to put unqualified teachers in front of the classroom in newcomer education, for example in international bridging classes or at a newcomer school. It is the education that children receive first when they have fled from another country. They have only been in the Netherlands for a short time and have to learn the language before they move on to a regular primary or secondary school.
AObchairman Tamar van Gelder: 'Perhaps the minister should do something else and focus on ensuring that everyone in education wants and continues to work'
Wiersma now wants to allow unauthorized teachers in this education in order to offer a solution to the capacity problem. An exception applies to core subjects such as Dutch and math; they must be given by a qualified teacher. Due to staff shortages throughout education and the huge influx of asylum children, including from Ukraine, there is not room for everyone at the moment. It means that about 2650 secondary school-age students are in their reception location or at home, Wiersma writes in an explanation of the proposal. 'The fact that waiting lists have arisen despite the dedicated efforts, because classes are overcrowded and no more staff can be found, hurts everyone and calls for action.'
Minister of Education Wiersma: 'The fact that waiting lists have arisen because classes are overcrowded and there are no more staff to be found hurts everyone and calls for action'
Adapted programme
To ensure that these newcomers are given a suitable place in regular education more quickly, Wiersma wants to make it possible for schools to offer an adapted programme. Schools may then deviate from the current rules, whereby a qualified teacher is mandatory. In addition, schools may deviate from the program and limit themselves to the core: 'Basic education.' The number of teaching hours may also be reduced, but Wiersma does write that asylum children must always receive at least 12,5 hours (five half-days) of education per week. This must be spread over three days and at least 10 clock hours per week must be devoted to the Dutch language.
In the bill, the minister of education calls this exception a 'temporary newcomers facility'. This is only intended for young people of school age who have not been in the Netherlands for a short time to have sufficiently mastered the language. In the bill, Wiersma obliges school boards to consult with the municipalities every year about asylum children and how they will guarantee their education. The minister also wants a special power whereby he can force schools and municipalities to arrange education for newcomers.
The Council of State, the government's highest advisory body in an opinion know to object to that power of the minister. 'It thwarts the existing good cooperation between schools, municipalities and the national government', according to the council. According to the council, the problems are mainly due to the lack of capacity in education and the uneven distribution of newcomers in the Netherlands. "It is not because of a refusal by schools to find a solution," writes the vice-president of the Council of State. The Council therefore sees no need for such a power on the part of the minister.
In the advice, the Council also expressly points out that attention must continue to be paid to structural solutions. 'It must be prevented that newcomers receive structurally less high-quality education in order to cope with the persistent capacity problems.'
The Council of State emphatically points out that attention must continue to be paid to structural solutions
Difficulties
That also thinks AObchairman Tamar van Gelder. She is concerned about the consequences of this law. This has a direct effect on the quality of education for asylum children. As a result, current teachers in regular education - where the newcomers go - will face an extra challenge. “Competent teachers can provide the best education. They have knowledge of didactics and know how to learn things such as Dutch. If asylum children no longer receive this, it is a concern for them and will cause additional difficulties for the current teachers.”
This is a political choice
Political choice
Unauthorized teaching goes against what the AOb want to. Van Gelder: "We are not involved at all with this law, while it still has an effect on the professional group and they have not had a say." In addition, the AObchairman points out that Wiersma proposes a choice between two 'evils': 'no education at all and sitting at home or lessons from unauthorized persons'. “I add a third choice: to a school where a qualified teacher teaches. The minister may have to get something else out of the closet - good working conditions for teaching staff, extra investments in education - and ensure that the money ends up in the right place. This is a political choice.”
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