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The cabinet is allocating 15 million euros for a trial to combat the teacher shortage. A bonus should persuade teachers to work more. The education union is critical: “It’s just a Band-Aid.”
In primary education, approximately seven in ten teachers work part-time. A quarter of them are willing to work more if there is a bonus in return, research shows. That could be extra money, but also a non-financial incentive, such as more flexible working hours, more leave, or other tasks.
To test that out, State Secretary Mariëlle Paul has allocated 15 million euros. According to her, working more hours would solve part of the teacher shortage. If only a few percent of part-time teachers work more, it will lead to a “substantial reduction” in the shortage, the Ministry of Education writes in a message.
Teachers at primary schools who participate in the trial can choose from more money, more flexibility in the schedule, more leave, and money for childcare. The trial starts next school year and runs for three years.
But the General Education Union (AOb) is critical. “It is not a solution to the bigger problems that exist,” a spokesperson tells NU.nl. According to the education union, the cabinet must come up with a “structural plan” to solve the teacher shortage. This plan is, according to the AOb, just “subsidy confetti”. “It’s a very small amount and it’s temporary.”
Trials by the ministry are happening “constantly,” but have not (yet) led to an actual solution to the shortage, the AOb emphasizes.
‘It’s just a Band-Aid’
Moreover, according to the AOb, teachers are mainly looking for less workload and more flexible education. The union does see one bright spot in the trial: Paul will also look into whether teaching assistants can start a school day in front of the class, so that a teacher can first take his or her own children to school and then start teaching.
“That is a favorable signal,” but it also seems like a “distraction from the bigger problem,” the AOb believes. “Now the State Secretary can say that she has done something for the teacher shortage.” But in the meantime, there are significant cuts in education.
“It’s just a Band-Aid,” concludes the AOb spokesperson.