Most educational interns do not receive a cent for their internship
Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of students in primary education or teacher training do not receive an internship allowance, research by ResearchNed shows. The AOb wants there to be a mandatory internship allowance. The ministry should have extra money for this, he believes AObdirector Thijs Roovers.
Picture: Type tank
“The ministers keep emphasizing that they find this important. Then release money, because I am not going to make the current teaching staff pay for this step in times of enormous shortages.”
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Yesterday, Education Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf (D66) sent his letter about internships at the House of Representatives. The appendices to that letter contained several research reports, including: the report 'Internships in higher education' from ResearchNed. The report shows that internship compensation is paid least often in the education sector.
Not usual
While it is very normal in sectors such as technology, economics and law or ICT to provide an internship allowance - almost all interns receive compensation - the education sector lags behind. The researchers write: 'Based on the survey, offering an internship allowance is the least common in the education sector.'
Based on the survey, offering an internship allowance is the least common in the education sector
Education is at the bottom of the list: 74 percent of teacher training students and teacher training students answered 'no' when asked whether they receive an internship allowance. In healthcare, not all interns receive compensation, but almost half of the students do receive an internship compensation.
Fixed appointments
From the in-depth interviews, the researchers see (part of the) answer to the low percentage of internship allowances in education. They point to the fixed agreements between colleges and school boards where students do internships. "The same rules usually apply within a school board, which means that in many cases students have no choice between an internship with or without compensation," the researchers said in the report.
The same rules usually apply within a school board, which means that in many cases students have no choice between an internship with or without compensation.
Of the higher professional education students who completed the survey, 13 percent indicate that they receive a maximum of 3,24 euros per hour. 7 percent receive between 3,25 and 6,31 euros per hour and 4 percent 6,32 to 9,47 euros per hour. The researchers see that the internship compensation in education is on average the highest, but points to the collective labor agreement regarding the traineeship compensation. According to the collective labor agreement, students in the fourth year (no agreements have been made for the first three years) must receive at least half of a teacher's starting salary, which is at least 1660 euros gross per month.
Cannot explain
Education Minister Dijkgraaf calls the trainees in education specifically. He finds it 'inexplicable' that they do not receive compensation on such a large scale. 'Especially at a time with major staff shortages and where we are doing everything we can to combat the teacher shortage, teaching interns should receive appropriate compensation.' The minister points to employers in primary and secondary education. 'They have to take a step forward for this.' Previously, a majority in the House of Representatives supported the motions of GroenLinks/PvdA and D66 on internship allowances.
At a time of major staff shortages and where we are doing everything we can to combat the teacher shortage, teaching interns should receive appropriate compensation
The ministry wants the social partners - including the AOb falls as an employee organization - make national agreements about a scheme for internship allowances. AObdirector Roovers says he is “ready to sign. Only the minister also has to bring something, namely money, to arrange this. I'm not going to charge the current staff for such a logical step in these times of shortages, am I?" The money for internship allowances should not be at the expense of the available salary range, according to the AOb.
To receive the internship allowance - after offering de petitie - to keep on the agenda is the AOb recently one action started. The association maps out which primary and secondary schools pay interns and how much. They appear on a map so that a complete overview is created.
Stronger measures
Dijkgraaf writes in his letter that it should still be possible to pay compensation. He gives good examples of this from the Rhineland and Haaglanden regions and in Gelderland. In general, the minister says that if too little progress is made, he will consider using stronger measures.
More pressure
ResearchNed's research shows that compensation does indeed play a role for many students. A third indicate this when choosing an internship. For them, it has consequences for their financial situation and also the pressure that students experience during their studies. For example, a student responded in the survey: 'Not receiving an internship allowance makes me feel more pressure to have to work, while this in combination with the long working and school days is actually too tiring. No compensation is possible from my internship, but I don't think that should influence my choice of an internship.'
