We are 'the teacher shortage'

Tekst Algemene Onderwijsbond - 21 september 2018 - 19 Minuten om te lezen

Johannes Visser (30) is a so-called hybrid teacher. He is a teacher and also an educational journalist at De Correspondent. Last year he did not work at school for a while, but now he is partly a Dutch teacher again. He missed contact with the students.

Visser: "I would never be able to teach full-time, I think."

"In the summer of 2017 I decided to focus on journalism – my other career – full-time. To do so, I dropped out of my half-job as a Dutch teacher at the Zaanlands Lyceum.
The stretch was a bit off. In six years I had headed the school paper, directed the school theater, founded a book club, and taught in grades one through six. What was the next step? I didn't feel like a management position. And for the class you run the risk that you will play the same record again. The last year I noticed that I was teaching less well than the year before.
Nevertheless, I mainly started again because it is just a lot of fun work. Students know how to surprise you every day, make you laugh, move you or get the blood from under your nails. I started to miss that. And as a friend rightly said recently, when you teach, you never have to wonder if your work is meaningful.
I have enjoyed being a hybrid teacher for years. Even though, from the perspective of the school, I wouldn't want too many teachers who only work halfway there. I also noticed that I was less involved with the school when I only worked there for two days.
Whether it is easy to leave the sector with a second career? I do not know. I would never be able to teach full time, I guess. In my old school that meant 25 lessons of 40 minutes in one week. That is really a lot. ”

The Netherlands has approximately 34.000 teachers who combine their classroom job with another job within or outside education. In higher education this is 17,5 percent of the teachers, in secondary education 13,6 percent and in primary education 7,7 percent. Hybrid teachers mainly choose to combine two jobs because they are looking for variety in work or contacts or because they want to develop in several areas. The Ministry of Education sees hybrid teachers as one of the solutions to the teacher shortage.

We are 'the teacher shortage'

De AOb shows the faces behind the teacher shortage. Respond, or share your story? That is possible on the Facebook page of AOb.

• Frank Herrebout (52), secondary vocational education teacher in installation technology in The Hague, is one of the few within his team with a second-degree qualification. The chance that a technology teacher of comparable caliber will join in soon is nil.

"It is very difficult to find people with a qualification. You can also see it in the teacher training courses for subject-oriented education. These have almost dried up. Until recently, our evening school lessons were often given by teachers from the business world. Those who like it to transfer knowledge.

Herrebout: "Working with instructors is fine, but to guarantee quality for all levels of students you need enough qualified teachers."

A few then took the step to a full-time job in education.

This situation is especially puzzling for the team leaders and education managers. Working with instructors is a great solution, but to ensure quality for all levels of students you need enough qualified teachers. It's about the mix. Instructors are generally true experts in their field. They have worked with their own hands and often have years of experience. Lecturers have theoretical knowledge and can – if all goes well – convey this clearly. This is important, for example when designing installations and when calculating and dimensioning.

You can train instructors to become teachers and that is also necessary because of the shortage. But then they must have a higher vocational education working and thinking level. And also being willing to get a pedagogical note, which is a lot of work. That is not always the case.

In the meantime, the number of technology students is increasing. Precisely because there is so much work in it and because people are retrained. I think that will only increase. ”

It would therefore be good to invite people from the business world to provide guest lectures. The theoretically trained professionals, such as project leaders, are especially interesting as potential teachers. The shortage can also be an opportunity to get the business community back into school. ”

The shortage of qualified science and technology teachers in secondary education and MBO is heading for more than 2800 teachers in the next three to five years. There is a shortage of 1850 teachers in higher education. United in the Technology Pact, government, education and business are making every effort to attract and train new teachers. Doekle Terpstra, the driver of the technology pact, believes that technical companies should make their employees available to provide technology education in the fight against the teacher shortage.

• Djofre van Woudenberg (32 years old) has been running the Koffiefiets company at the station in Houten as an independent barista for over five years. He does this with dedication and infectious enthusiasm. He would have loved to use these qualities in education.
  

Djofre: "After a year in class, I left education. Education had numbed my creative mind."

"After primary school, I wanted nothing more than to unleash all my energy and ideas on education. I wanted to be given the space to do so, because I love young children and it gives me energy when I can offer them something that no one else can. I'm the type of teacher who likes to excel at something and make decisions quickly. Hours of meetings for nothing, whether the Christmas tree should be on the left or right of the room and whether the autumn table should look the same as last year, is not for me .

After a year in class, I left education and chose my other passion: coffee. Education had numbed my creative mind. At the teacher training college you get a completely different picture of education. The amount of administration, making reports of parent conversations and hours of meetings is not something that is paid attention to in the training. I wanted to talk less and do more.

The lack of financial growth in education was also a downer for me. I think it is for many men what makes (primary) education unattractive. You can specialize or distinguish yourself in something, but there is no reward associated with it. Why would a random teacher be on party committees, organize excursions, set up projects or teach in another language? Let a teacher specialize in that and reward him or her accordingly. That way you can also create career paths in education, beyond just the step to IB or school leader."

The reasons that Djofre gives for leaving education were also reflected in the investigation of AOb and Investico. From the survey on hidden reserves, for 16 percent of people who have left education, 'being able to work as they see fit' is an important condition for returning. 27 percent of school leavers think the salary is too low and 13 percent see few career opportunities.

• Agathe Loggen (27 years old) moved from Harderwijk to Amsterdam in 2011, because there was work to be found there. She wanted to work full-time right away and that was not possible in Harderwijk. Now Agathe works at an Islamic primary school in Haarlem, where the teacher shortage is noticeable every day.

"After completing my studies, you could only find casual jobs in Harderwijk. Nowadays you get a permanent contract much faster. That used to be different, then it was really an ultimatum. Not only me, but also fellow students went to other cities to to find work.

Agathe: "Every day it is puzzling and shuffling to ensure that all children receive the best possible lessons."

The teacher shortage is felt daily at our school. Every day it is puzzling and shuffling to ensure that all children receive the best possible lessons. Classes are divided, colleagues help out on their day off or a teaching assistant is put in front of the class. Nothing to the detriment of the teaching assistant. The children know her well and vice versa. It's just not the best solution. She is not a teacher and also has her own activities that are left behind. There are simply no substitutes to be found.

Our director thinks this is a better solution than sending students home. They do get some education, but it's far from ideal. Something really needs to be done. First of all, it is of course shocking that the stress and complaints of burnout in education and healthcare are so high. Classes are too full and priorities really need to be set.

If you have a class of 35 kids, you really can't give a good education. I am for a maximum number of students in the class. Much of what we do in education is useful, but it makes a big difference whether you have a class of XNUMX or XNUMX students.

That is why I think it is good that we have started striking and campaigning. In this way we show the rest of the Netherlands and politicians that this is no longer possible. It is not only a problem of teachers or education, but of the whole of the Netherlands. The future of our country is in the hands of our children. If primary schools have too little money or staff to provide good education, this will certainly have an impact on the quality in other fields in the long term. Our children really deserve better!"

• Pierre Pourchez officially retired three years ago, but because of the teacher shortage, he teaches three and sometimes five days a week. "They call me up and say, 'We need you'. I can't say no."

"It started after I retired with a phone call from my old school: 'Pierre, would you like to help me for a day?' One thing led to another. Several schools soon heard from me and now I am sometimes busier than before my retirement. It will only get worse, I think, in four or five years Amsterdam will sink through the ground. I really don't want to find a teacher anymore, but I really want to stop in a year and a half, when my partner will retire.

Pierre is retired, but is still teaching. "More people should do that," said Pierre.

I still think the work itself is fantastic. The children are always excited. In addition, I am not bothered by action plans, analyzes that have to be made, parent meetings or cito tests. I just teach and I'm there for the kids. Recently I was drawing set pieces in the hallway and then a toddler flies around my neck. I matter to that student. Somehow that is also the 'bad' thing about our profession. That being able to mean something to a child is so damn attractive. But the stretch is out, I think personally.

I just don't understand. Education, care, the police, they have been deliberately cut so hard. Then your heart cries. In all the years that I have been working in this sector, he has been peppered with cutbacks here and measures there. Compare that with that discount on dividend tax. People then say: yes, it is important that those shares are taxed low, otherwise our companies will move abroad. But what about the importance of education, of our children? It doesn't matter much to me personally, but if I now work five days, I actually work on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for the tax pot. Minister Slob should think about that if he wants to use more pensioners against the teacher shortage.

I would like to tell my current colleagues that it is important to keep the profession interesting for yourself. For example, get your energy from the non-class-related tasks. Being a teacher is something you should enjoy. I still walk into a school building with a big smile."

At the end of 2016, primary schools employed a total of 1201 employees who had already reached retirement age. Since then, that number has most likely only grown.

• Evy van Ast (26) obtained her second degree teaching qualification in 2014. After two years in the classroom, she exchanged working in education for a master's degree at Erasmus University. Now Evy is a researcher at the historical research bureau Stad en Bedrijf.

"My choice for the social sciences teacher training was made in no time at the time. In addition to the subject matter interest, I always had a preference for education.

Evy: "When I started teacher training I was sure I wanted to teach."

The personal contact with students in particular appealed to me. Working on a relationship of trust seemed to me to be the basis for good education.

When I started teacher training I was sure I wanted to teach. But with the progress of my studies, the doubts came. My fear of getting stuck in education grew. For me, education was like a trap: once you are in it, it is not so easy to get out.

Switching from business to education is also easier than the other way around, I think. The competences that you develop in education seem less interesting to the business community. In business you can develop more broadly and there are more career opportunities. This image, together with the limited career opportunities, caused me to leave education after two years.

Another factor was my difficulty with the large classes. There were no fewer than 34 students in one class. Then you can no longer check how the flag hangs for each student, even though that is so important for the quality of education. Sometimes this prevented me from providing the education I had in mind.

Under what conditions would I return to education? That's easy. There must be sufficient development prospects, linked to a financial reward, and room for contact with students.

The first year as a teacher is decisive for leaving the education sector. The outflow is then highest: 15 to 26 percent of the teachers leave primary education, secondary education and MBO after one year of teaching. In subsequent years, the outflow will increase more gradually. After five years, 18 percent of starting teachers left primary education, 31 percent from secondary education and 45 percent from MBO.

• Tanja Suijker (36) has been working as a substitute in Hoorn and surroundings for almost twelve years. At the beginning of this year she got a permanent position as a substitute for two days a week.

"The fact that I worked as a substitute for so long was not a conscious choice. Every time it just happened that the school did not see a vacancy. And then I had to leave again. I have experienced that I was able to fill in several times within a foundation. But after that it was: 'Goodbye, otherwise we will have to give you a permanent contract'.

The type of cover job varied, but the general picture for Tanja looked about the same every year. "Immediately after the summer holidays, as a substitute, you are mainly offered loose substitute days. Long-term substitute jobs arise around the autumn holidays, because people often fall over from the workload. I regularly had to take a week off after a year of substitute work, because otherwise the board would have to give me a permanent contract. I've also had the experience of having to leave for three months, and I hated the fact that I had to leave my class.

Tanja: 'After 11,5 years filling in, finally a permanent appointment.'

For the interim periods, she applied for unemployment benefit. "Then I would be at home for four or five months and also apply for daycares and office jobs. I have sometimes seriously considered leaving education completely, but I never did because I know this is what I want.

Now that the teacher shortage is increasing, you see that schools are more likely to offer permanent positions to ensure that they have their own permanent substitute. That pond is now also emptying. My current school is a public school. The Work and Security Act (Wwz) does not apply there, but you still notice that there is no stretch there too.

Last year I ended up at my current school for a replacement. It was agreed that after a good assessment I would get a permanent appointment within the foundation. That happened. Since January 2018 I have a permanent appointment for 2 days a week. I am a part-timer, but they can also deploy me for extra substitute jobs. I am so happy that after almost twelve years I finally got a permanent position and that my holidays continue to be paid. Finally, I am no longer dependent on benefits agencies, it put me so much stress!

Tanja is not the only one who has had long-term temporary contracts. Until a year ago, it was still very difficult to find a job in primary education in some parts of the Netherlands. While the teacher shortage was predicted. The AOb asked the government in view of the shortage to make redundant employers of starting teachers. This did not happen and many starters dropped out.

• Marcel Schmeier was in the classroom for 15 years, especially in special primary education. Now he works as an educational advisor. The reason he left education? 'I had too much ambition and too little space,' said this ex-teacher.

"When I was in front of the class, I lacked space and control over what I did. For example, I wanted to teach children to count and write, but not to finish booklets and fill in worksheets that the board prescribed. Then this job came along and I am so in education rolled out.

Yet I can still say with full conviction: standing in front of the classroom is the best thing there is. Actually, I still kind of do that, but now I'm in front of a class with teachers.

Marcel: 'I lacked space and control over what I did.'

As a consultant I work more hours per week, but the workload is lower than when I was teaching. This was much more intensive. You cannot organize your own time and you are constantly working with your students: that is really seriously underestimated."

"Would I like to be in the classroom again? Maybe yes, but then there should be more room for teachers to provide good education. So you don't have to keep to all kinds of agreements. As long as the results are good, there must be confidence in the being a teacher and thus being given space.

In addition, it is such a shame that people in front of the classroom cannot make a career. If you want to grow further, you often become an internal counselor or school leader. This is a shame. It should also be appreciated if you do a good job. In this way you ensure that the best people want to be in front of the class: the teacher must be able to earn better than the principal. Just like the football player deserves better than the coach.

In addition, something really needs to be done about the workload and the salary. Yes, the salary is also a barrier for me to start working in education again. That salary is way too low. It was not the reason that I left education, but it would be a condition for me to return. I deserve better now."

For 16 percent of the people who have left primary education, 'being able to work as they see fit' is an important condition for returning. Too often teachers feel compelled to repeat lessons, instead of shaping education with their own knowledge and skills.

• Emmy van Heel worked in primary education for 15 years and dropped out with serious burnout complaints. Now she works at the Riding School and enjoys teaching fairground and circus children.

"My heart is in education. This is what I love to do most. Yet I have chosen not to work in regular education anymore. At the Rijdende School - I have more freedom. I can make my own choices and the working hours are more flexible.

In 2010 I ended up at home with a burn-out. It took me a year and a half before I got better. The cause was the chaos at my previous employer. After the predicate 'weak school' a new team was appointed. For a while we taught in emergency buildings, because a new school building was being built.

Emmy: 'Our signals were not listened to'

At the same time it was decided that we should merge with another school. All this already caused a lot of unrest. But when the school director and ib'er were also transferred and we had to sacrifice our Christmas holidays to move the school with our partners, I was exhausted. I called in sick for a week in February with the idea that I would be back after that. I turned out to have a serious burnout."

Emmy thinks her previous employer could have prevented her burnout. "Definitely think so. There were too many changes at the same time. Everything was dropped from above. We gave a lot of signals, but they were not listened to. Why was there no talk to the team? The board expected a lot from us, but it was not asked how we would experience this.

Education is lucky that there are a lot of people with an enormous passion for their profession. At the same time, this is very dangerous: if you continuously raise your limit, you will become ill. Reducing the high and long-term absenteeism rate should be one of the solutions to tackle the teacher shortage.'

Emmy is not the only teacher who has dropped out of education with a burnout. A quarter of teachers in primary education have experienced the same. The perceived work pressure is the main reason for their complaints for this group.

We are 'the teacher shortage'

De AOb shows the faces behind the teacher shortage. Respond, or share your story yourself? That is possible on the Facebook page of AOb.