‘Isn’t the Netherlands so eager to be a knowledge economy? Then invest in your education!’
There has been a teacher shortage for years. Many older masters and teachers are retiring and not enough new ones are joining. On social media we shared the statement: ‘You can solve the teacher shortage with fewer teaching hours’. These are the reactions.
Miranda thinks less teaching hours is not a good idea and writes: ‘Fewer teaching hours means more work pressure (because of increasing backlogs) and therefore more shortage because more teachers drop out.’ And Laura recently spoke to a former teacher who thinks that teachers should go on strike for extra teaching assistants, not for more salary: ‘She thinks this is because more salary does not solve the problem – the workload. Extra help in the classroom, she says. I think I can share this opinion. Curious about how the teachers and masters think about this.’
Knowledge economy
Léenore also thinks fewer hours are a bad idea. She even calls it outrageous. She responds: ‘I am so sorry that I transferred my children from Flemish education to the Dutch system. Do you already find it scandalous that they only go to school from 8.45 am to 2.15 pm and then even less? How are they supposed to learn things then? The Netherlands really wants to be a knowledge economy, doesn’t it? Invest in your education. Bring and keep the knowledge and skills in order, starting with education.’
Beachiana responds with: ‘Maybe they should keep the work fun and not put such a heavy workload on the teachers. When you hear how brutal many children are in the schools. Education is also lacking for some. A whole lot has changed in society as a whole, a real shame!’
Look around the corner
Renate thinks that you are letting down children who cannot get the right guidance at home, for whatever reason. “They have no more chances.” And Susanne responds with: ‘Perhaps less performance-oriented education from the government, so that it becomes more fun for teachers to teach and that learning becomes more fun for children.’
Angèla thinks in terms of solutions and writes: ‘I also know people who really want to do the course, but are not admitted. Maybe offer those people a counseling process.’ And according to Desiree, Teaching Assistant is perfectly suited to stand in front of a (combi) class in the lower years of primary school: ‘Use that more often. There is often a lecturer who also looks around the corner.’
This generation
Marlene believes that people should stop complaining about salary and focus on how to reduce the workload. How? ‘Group-breaking work, for example, less performance-oriented and more focused on how the children become happy again at school. The school system has not been suitable for this generation of children for many years now.’
Jolanda also responds with a firm no: ‘Teacher shortage can be solved with less administration and a lot of mandatory extra activities. Back to the basic subjects, such as reading, reading comprehension, math, writing, music, handicrafts, geography, history, biology and speaking engagements. What is also important: respect for the teacher again! After all, he learned for it. Many parents – not all, of course – make teaching impossible. Their princes and princesses are unique, gifted, fantastic and never do anything wrong. Everything always depends on someone else, the teacher or the school. Any self-reflection on one’s own upbringing is totally missing. All this means a shortage of teachers!’
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