Gros VO boards under 80% standard for permanent contracts

Tekst Arno Kersten - Redactie Onderwijsblad - 8 juni 2023 - 3 Minuten om te lezen

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These figures for 2022 were published by DUO in April, but have so far remained unexposed. They relate to the current school year.

Compared to 2021, the number of teachers with a temporary appointment at secondary schools has increased by more than 1.500 to almost 17 thousand. The number of teachers with a permanent contract decreased by more than 900. The number of permanent appointments is also falling in MBO and temporary contracts are increasing: 78 percent of MBO teachers now have a permanent contract, slightly more than in secondary education.

Percentage of teachers with permanent employment

Reference date: 1 October. Source: DUO Data Portal, data for po, vo en mbo

Standard

Education ministers Dennis Wiersma and Robbert Dijkgraaf unfolded recently taken measures to improve employment practices in education. The Strategic Personnel Policy bill contains a standard for primary and secondary education that is intended to curb the number of temporary contracts: every school board must ensure that 80 percent of the staff have an employment contract for an indefinite period. The standard does not apply to senior secondary vocational education.

Employers' umbrella organizations PO-raad and VO-raad immediately dismissed the plans as undesirable and superfluous. “Schools already have 80 percent of teachers on a permanent basis,” said VO council chairman Henk Hagoort to NOS.

Differences

The new numbers contradict that. Of all employees in the sector - management, teachers, support staff - 77 percent have a permanent appointment this school year, according to the new figures. The year before that was indeed just under 80 percent. Moreover: one average for the entire sector conceals the differences between the institutions. Three out of five school boards in secondary education appear to be below the 80 percent standard.

A large majority of school boards in secondary education appear to be below the 80 percent standard

In primary education, a large majority of school boards do meet the 80 percent standard. The share of permanent teachers has been around 88 percent for some time now, compared to 93 percent ten years ago. Partly due to a significant increase in support workers - often with temporary contracts - in recent years, the average for all staff has now dropped to just under 83 percent.

Percentage of all permanent employees

Reference date: 1 October. Source: DUO Data Portal, data for po, vo en mbo

Adults

The figures in this report are based on the number of persons, not on the number of FTEs (full-time jobs). Measured in FTEs, the percentages of temporary appointments are slightly lower. The fact that there are more people than FTEs with a temporary appointment may be because employees with a temporary appointment relatively more often have smaller part-time jobs. The 80 percent standard in the Strategic Personnel Policy bill is based on the number of people, a spokesman for the Ministry of Education confirms.

These are new figures that we should look closely at

'These are new figures that we need to look closely at', a spokesperson for the Secondary Education Council emails in a response to the Education magazine. 'These figures show that there is a downward trend in the number of permanent contracts. In order to be able to make firm statements about this, an extensive analysis is needed, which is not yet available.' The employers' umbrella refers to the one-off NPO funds, with which some of the schools temporarily deploy extra support. 'This is incidental money that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to finance structural appointments.' The VO council maintains the claim that 'at sector level more than 80 percent' of the staff would have a permanent appointment.

Number of secondary school teachers

Reference date: 1 October. Source: DUO Data Portal

De AOb is positive about the plans. “There are certainly many good employers, but also too many that are really not doing well. This is indeed a problem in secondary education.” thus AObdriver Jelmer Evers.

The Bill on Strategic Personnel Policy is open for comments up to and including 18 June via internet consultation.