2018

Development during a career has to become self-evident

News item 27-09-2018 | 19:59

It must become self-evident that everyone continues to develop during his or her career. That is why there is a joint action plan from employers’ and employees' organizations, educational institutions, implementing organizations and the government. The aim is that people gain more influence or control over their careers and can adapt to changes on the labor market.

Minister Koolmees of Social Affairs and Employment and Minister Van Engelshoven of Education, Culture and Science write this to the Lower House, also on behalf of State Secretary Keijzer of Economic Affairs and Climate.

Minister Koolmees: 'The labor market is changing rapidly, for example through new technologies, digitization and the energy transition. New jobs are coming, others are disappearing. To stay up to date, you need to school yourself regularly. This will give you more control over your own career. That is why the Cabinet wants to ensure a breakthrough in the area of ​​Long-term Development. '

Minister Van Engelshoven: 'Where your diploma used to be your destination, it is precisely the starting point of lifelong learning and development.'

In order to gain more influence on your career, it has to become clearer which training opportunities there are. There will be more support in the form of information, career advice and coaching. The supply of education is becoming more flexible. Small companies are encouraged to also do additional training and retraining.

The Cabinet will also assist in the realization of an individual learning and development budget for everyone. It is a new instrument; other countries as well have relatively little experience with it. As a first step, the government wants to develop a digital overview of individual training options and - in due course - matching financial benefits. 218 million euros will be available for this long-term investment.

In some companies and sectors there are already so-called individual learning and development accounts, in the form of learning accounts, vouchers or drawing rights. These are all intended to give the employee more control over his or her development. The government is going to stimulate expansion by improving the preconditions and tax deductions.

The Netherlands is doing well internationally in the field of Long-term Development. There are approximately one hundred Education and Development funds. Companies and funds spend 1.7 billion euros annually on training. But it is mainly young people and highly educated people who make use of it. Sometimes retraining also happens too late, causing people to become unemployed. The cabinet's action plan,  the employers' organizations and the employees' organizations will further improve the situation. Next year the government will allocate more than 10 million euros to it.

Radical change of course needed to strengthen the position of teachers

News item | 11-06-2018

A strong professional association is essential for both teachers and teaching in the Netherlands. Action in the past few years to set up such an association has had too little effect. For this reason, education minister Arie Slob has decided on a radical change of course. In a letter sent to the House of Representatives last Monday he writes that plans to build a strong professional association for teachers deserve a second chance.

To decide which steps should now be taken, Mr Slob has asked Alexander Rinnooy Kan to carry out an exploratory study. Before the summer, Mr Rinnooy Kan will hold a first round of talks with teachers’ unions, teachers and other stakeholders. ‘A smoothly functioning professional association is in everyone’s interests, and essential for our schools,’ he said. ‘I will do everything I can to help.’

Mr Rinnooy Kan chaired a committee appointed in 2007 by the then education minister to give an advisory opinion on measures to tackle teacher shortages and improve the position and quality of teachers.

Report

Mr Rinnooy Kan is expected to submit a report on further measures to strengthen the profession later in the year. A new course will be set out on the basis of this report. Mr Rinnooy Kan is familiar with the issues at stake. ‘He is the best person for this job, given his experience in dealing with complex issues and his earlier recommendations on this subject,’ said Mr Slob.

Teachers are now highly organised in trade unions and in some cases specialist associations, but there is no overarching national association to represent them in matters relating to their profession and standards of quality – unlike doctors and lawyers, for example. In the past, the Onderwijscoöperatie (Teaching Cooperative) fulfilled this role. Because this organisation had little support among teachers, it was disbanded.

Register of Teachers

The minister has also decided to take no further action on the compulsory national Register of Teachers. ‘We won’t take the next step until we know exactly what is needed to ensure that the register has teachers’ full support,’ said Mr Slob.’ The voluntary register will continue to be available for teachers who have entered their professional development portfolios in it.’

According to the minister, the Register of Teachers had become an end in itself, when it was originally intended as a means towards a strong professional association. ‘Our efforts need to be geared to building a strong professional association,’ he said. ‘Teachers have been made to wait too long.’ Mr Rinnooy Kan shares this view. ‘The register is the support, not the main act.’

Teachers at the helm

Mr Slob feels that teachers should take charge. He doesn’t plan to impose a professional association from the top down, but he wants to support teachers in setting one up. ‘Teachers’ interests should have priority. And in that case, teachers should be at the helm of this process,’ he concluded.

Ministry of Education, Culture and Science: new measures in the New Year

News item | 27-12-2017

On 1 January 2018 various measures targeting the education field will come into effect.

Interdenominational schools

From 1 January 2018 it will be easier for non-denominational public-authority primary schools and privately-run denominational or non-denominational primary schools to merge. This is a pragmatic solution for schools in areas where the number of children is in decline. Such areas will then still have a local school where children can receive teaching that ties in with their values.

Futureproof education

From 1 January 2018 it will be easier for primary schools to change their status from public-authority to privately-run school and vice versa. It will also be easier for a school to relocate within municipal boundaries. The new measure makes it easier for school boards to work together at regional level. This is becoming increasingly important in order to cope with declining pupil numbers in some parts of the country.

Arithmetic attainment test results no longer count in pre-university education (VWO)

From the 2017/2018 school year, pupils in pre-university education (VWO) will no longer need to pass the mandatory arithmetic attainment test in order to get their school-leaving certificate. This change only affects VWO pupils, as in other types of secondary education the test results did not count anyway.

New deadline for secondary vocational education applications: 1 April

Pupils who want to apply for a course in secondary vocational education (MBO) for the coming academic year must do so by 1 April 2018. This rule is new. Only students who have applied by this date are eligible for admission to their course of choice. A student who applies after this date may be refused admission, so it is vital that they apply on time. Students can always switch courses after their initial application.

New round of the Regional Investment Fund

In 2018 the Regional Investment Fund (RIF) will hold a new call for proposals for businesses that want to invest in innovative vocational education in partnership with MBO schools. Education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven has made €25 million available for this round.

New level of higher education

A new, separate level of education is being introduced in 2018: the associate degree. Associate degree courses are two-year courses in higher professional education. They are particularly suited to students with MBO 4 qualifications who want to study further but find a four-year bachelor’s course too daunting. The associate degree also offers opportunities for continuing professional development and training for working people and others in the context of lifelong learning. A total of 150 associate degree courses are offered at 22 government-funded institutions for higher professional education (HBO, hogescholen) and a further 60 at privately run hogescholen that do not receive government funding.

Reducing the administrative burden in higher education accreditation process

Quality assurance monitoring in higher education means a great deal of unnecessary paperwork for Dutch universities and institutions of higher professional education (hogescholen). Once every six years, they are scrutinised by the Netherlands-Flanders Accreditation Organisation (NAVO). Sometimes as many as 60 binders are necessary to hold all the documentation required. The Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Ingrid van Engelshoven, wants to examine ways of reducing the administrative burden through a pilot project, which has just received the cabinet’s approval and will be launched in January 2018.

2017

Tuitions fees halved for first two years of teaching training

News item | 07-12-2017

Tuition fees will not only be halved for students starting primary school teacher training (PABO) in the 2018/2019 academic year, but also for students starting other teacher training courses, provided they have not previously been enrolled in higher education. Education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven announced this on Thursday in the debate on the education budget in the House of Representatives. The measure is intended to help combat the teacher shortage.

The coalition agreement sets out that, in order to make higher education more accessible, tuition fees will be halved for first-year bachelor students in higher education as of the 2018/2019 academic year. It also states that the reduced fees will apply to students in the first two years of primary teacher training. Ms Van Engelshoven has now decided to expand this measure to students on all teacher training courses at Dutch higher education institutions, including courses leading to grade one and grade two qualifications for teaching at secondary and secondary vocational schools.

Students are eligible for the reduced tuition fee if they are entering higher education for the first time in the 2018/2019 academic year. The reduction will apply for a maximum of two years in total for any student.

‘More and more schools are struggling to replace teachers on sick leave,’ Ms Van Engelshoven pointed out. ‘The shortage of teachers is a major challenge that the sector has to tackle together. Although the shortage is growing more slowly than previously projected, we need to take action. By substantially reducing tuition fees we hope to motivate more prospective students to become teachers ­– the best job in the world.’

The agreements on tuition fees in the coalition agreement are currently being fleshed out in a bill.

Growth of teacher shortage slower, but action still needed

News item | 28-11-2017

While the teacher shortage is growing less quickly than anticipated, efforts need to continue over the next few years in order to reverse the trend. In a letter to parliament, education ministers Ingrid van Engelshoven and Arie Slob stressed that they are working closely with all stakeholders to turn the tide.

According to the latest figures, the teacher shortage is not growing as fast as expected. More people want to go into teaching, part-time staff are working more hours and teachers are carrying on working longer after reaching retirement age. Action is still necessary, as the shortage is growing nonetheless. The government is working hard to address this, together with employers' organisations and trade unions, teacher training institutes, school boards and municipalities.

Measures to make the teaching profession more attractive

• €430 million extra to reduce teachers’ workload. How the funds are to be spent will be decided together with schools and teachers.
• €270 million extra to increase salaries. Employers and trade unions are currently negotiating a new collective labour agreement.
• Tuition fees for the first two years of primary school teaching training halved.

Measures already in place

• €1.25 million scheme to encourage 500 former teachers to return to the profession.
• Teachers who work part-time invited to increase their hours.
• Lateral-entry teachers scheme expanded (€9.8 million has been set aside for this).
• Campaign to attract more students into teacher training.

Labour market projections initially showed that by 2020 the teacher shortage at primary schools would be 4,100 FTEs. This shortage is not now expected to occur until 2022, partly due to an increase in the number of students graduating from teacher training courses. Teachers are also retiring at a later age and part-time staff have increased their hours.

This gives the education ministers a little more time to address the issue. But they also warn that the current shortage is an early indicator of a much larger one that will make it harder to fill permanent teaching positions in the future. ‘This extra time is no cause for complacency and we are already taking action,’ Ms Van Engelshoven said.

Schools are already feeling the pinch Primary schools in big cities already struggle to replace sick teachers. Both ministers greatly appreciate the solutions that school boards and heads manage to find.

The ministers have highlighted that the teacher shortage cannot be solved by central government alone. Teacher training institutes and trade unions also have a role to play, as do employers who are responsible for schools’ staffing policies. ‘We can only tackle this challenge if everyone steps up their efforts,’ Mr Slob said.

Funding for training The projections are based on data from 2015. This means that they do not take into account the effect of the most recent measures, such as the government scheme to encourage former teachers to return to the profession. A training budget of €2,500 per teacher is available. ‘Extra training and support can provide that bit of encouragement someone needs to get them back into teaching,’ Mr Slob said.

A total of €9.8 million will also be set aside this year for candidates for lateral-entry teacher training. The extra funding is necessary because more people than expected are interested in going into teaching. This amount will be sufficient for more than 490 lateral-entry trainee teachers. ‘While interest in the lateral-entry route into primary teaching has grown markedly, it is secondary vocational schools that benefit most from the scheme,’ Ms Van Engelshoven said. ‘Skilled professionals are invaluable as teachers in vocational classrooms.’

Job security The projections themselves also help reduce the shortage. ‘Anyone who chooses to go into teaching is almost certain of finding a job,’ Mr Slob said. ‘Only a couple of years ago many newly qualified primary school teachers were unemployed or had to find work in other sectors.’

Government investments The measures set out in the coalition agreement also aim to make the profession more attractive. The government is investing €430 million to help teachers and schools to reduce work pressure and €270 million to increase salaries. In addition, tuition fees for students in the first two years of teaching training will be halved. ‘We need the help of teachers, schools and trade unions in making the profession as attractive as possible to young people choosing a future career,’ said Mr Slob.

Secondary education and secondary vocational education (MBO) If nothing changes, secondary schools will continue to face a shortage of teachers. While the total projected shortage of 700 fulltime teachers by 2022 is smaller than for primary schools, schools are already struggling to find teachers for some subjects including science subjects, Latin and Greek.

In a recovering job market MBO schools are facing tough competition from other employers. There are so many job opportunities for technically skilled professionals that teaching positions are becoming harder to fill. The ministry is working closely with employers and trade unions to reduce the shortage.

Guidelines published to help teachers address work pressure

News item | 13-11-2017 This week all primary schools in the Netherlands will receive a booklet offering teachers guidance about what needs to be recorded for reporting purposes – and what does not. Teachers often end up doing too much paperwork because they are not sure what the statutory requirements are. What’s more, there are a number of persistent misconceptions about this in the sector. The booklet (Ruimte in Regels) explains what the law says, but also how much freedom teachers and schools have in how they fulfil these obligations.

Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Arie Slob presented the first copies of the booklet to the staff of Villa Vrolik primary school in Hilversum on Monday together with the Inspector General of Education Monique Vogelzang. Member of parliament for the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) Bente Becker, who had submitted a motion in the House for guidance to be drawn up, also received a copy.

Scope for improvement Work pressure comes to some extent from the regulatory burden. The booklet is one way of helping teachers reduce that burden. ‘The Ministry and the Inspectorate of Education are making every effort to help, but schools themselves also play an important part,’ Mr Slob said.

The booklet – drawn up in consultation with teachers by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science and the Inspectorate of Education – can help teaching staff talk about what they can do in order to organise their work differently. It contains answers to frequently asked questions relating to specific situations, which may inspire schools to take a different approach. The accompanying ‘dilemma cards’ are also a good way of starting a discussion.

Law less prescriptive than schools and teachers think The booklet makes clear that the law is less prescriptive than schools and teachers often think. For instance, class teaching plans are not obligatory, nor are there rules on lesson preparations or daily lesson timetables. Schools also do not have to keep a week-by-week record of the hours spent on teaching each subject. In fact, teachers have a lot of freedom to make their own decisions.

Schools and teachers are encouraged to make smart choices in terms of recording and reporting. ‘Sit down together and cast a critical eye over work procedures,’ the minister said. ‘After all, no one decides to become a teacher because they enjoy red tape.’

Hearing from teachers In the coalition agreement the government set aside €450 million to help teachers tackle their work pressure. To this end, the government is also extending its Removing Regulatory Obstacles programme (‘Operatie Regels Ruimen’). Over the coming weeks and months Mr Slob will be visiting schools to find out what measures teachers would like to see taken. ‘We really want teachers to notice the difference in their day-to-day work,’ the minister emphasised. ‘To achieve this we need to hear their ideas and experiences.’

The booklet (in Dutch) can be downloaded at https://www.leraar.nl/trending/Werkdruk.

Senate agrees with intervene in extreme manifestations educational administrator

News item, March 2017

The Minister of Education is allowed to intervene when a representative of an education institution makes discriminatory statements or who are against the fundaments of the law. The Upper House agreed with the legislative proposal of the Minister of Education who takes care of this. The law would make it possible to intervene in an institution who are not sponsored by the government, such as the Islamic University of Rotterdam.

The Committee

An independent committee of experts will advise on the casus before the Minister will intervene. The intervention can lead to the prevention of the institution from providing college degrees (such as bachelor or master- degree). The committee needs to be determined by law. Names and degrees This proposal protects names and degrees so that educational institutions cannot abuse their institution name (university or university of applied sciences) and mislead students, if they do so they can be punished.

Names and degrees

This proposal protects names and degrees so that educational institutions cannot abuse their institution name (university or university of applied sciences) and mislead students, if they do so they can be punished.

Register of Teachers approved by the Senate

News item, February 2017

In February the Senate approved the Teaching Profession and Register of Teachers Act. This Act gives teachers more say in how they practise their profession. As of 1 August 2018 teachers will have their own professional register, like doctors, lawyers and nurses. Teachers themselves will decide on the requirements to be met by the register.

Contents

• Only qualified teachers will be enrolled in the Register of Teachers.
• Teachers enter their in-service training in the online register, showing that they are keeping their knowledge and skills up-to-date. After qualifying, it is important for teachers to continue with their professional development.
• The profession is responsible for the design and content of the register, for example the training requirements teachers need to meet.
• Enrolment in the register is reviewed every four years, and can be prolonged if the teacher meets the criteria set by the profession.
• The names of teachers who fail to meet the criteria are flagged, but this marker is withdrawn if they can show that their skills are up-to-date again.
• Teachers who have not yet qualified are enrolled in the register’s waiting list.

Register for teachers by teachers

To ensure due care is taken with its introduction, the Register of Teachers will not come into operation until 1 August 2018. The Teaching Profession and Register of Teachers Act protects the teaching profession. It also puts the professional remit and the rights of teachers to professional development on a statutory footing. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science developed the Act in close consultation with the Teachers’ Forum (Onderwijscoöperatie), which represents the profession and comprises representatives of the following unions and associations of teachers: Algemene Onderwijsbond, CNV Onderwijs, Federatie van Onderwijsvakorganisaties and Platform Vakinhoudelijke Verenigingen Voorgezet Onderwijs.

Bill for better protection of pupils’ privacy

News item, February 2017

The Cabinet has approved a bill submitted by education minister Jet Bussemaker and state secretary Sander Dekker on safeguarding pupils’ privacy. By inputting pseudonyms, schools will share fewer personal details with the providers of digital teaching aids.

Schools are using more and more digital teaching aids. Apps enable pupils to learn arithmetic or check their spelling. To function properly, the apps need pupils’ personal data – name, class, school and level attained in reading or arithmetic, for example. This information is stored in the cloud.

Up to now, schools have had to share a relatively large quantity of personal data with companies in order to use digital teaching aids or access online teaching packs. This is undesirable, given the risk that the data will be hacked or leaked. By inputting a pseudonym in the form of a code, it will be possible to minimise the amount of information provided. For example, the date of birth and sex of a pupil will no longer need to be shared.

• More than 130 parties, including companies, schools and education councils, have already signed a voluntary agreement on measures to protect pupils’ privacy. This has significantly reduced the amount of personal data to be shared.
• The new legislation will apply to primary schools, secondary schools and schools for secondary vocational education (MBO), and will probably enter into force in January 2018. The parties to the voluntary agreement have all indicated that they plan to start working with pseudonyms as soon as possible.

The Cabinet has agreed to send the bill to the Council of State for an advisory opinion. The text of the bill and of the Council of State’s recommendations will both become public when the bill is submitted to the House of Representatives.

Record number of outstanding schools in the Netherlands

News item, January 2017 From today, the Netherlands has a record number of outstanding schools. Another 54 schools will be told today that they have been officially designated as outstanding. This will bring the total number of outstanding schools in the Netherlands to 184.

The primary sector has the highest number of outstanding schools (69). But pre-vocational education (VMBO) departments are also doing well, with 34 designated as outstanding. The league table also includes 22 special schools, 22 senior general secondary education (HAVO) departments, 24 pre-university education (VWO) departments or schools and 13 practical training departments.

2016

Stricter conditions for exemption from compulsory school attendance

News item, December 2016

Before municipalities can exempt children with disabilities from compulsory school attendance, they will first have to consult the consortium of schools in the region. State secretary for education Sander Dekker plans to amend the Compulsory Education Act to this effect. His aim is for more children with disabilities to receive some form of education.

•  In some regions, consultations with school consortiums already take place on a voluntary basis. Now they will be compulsory.
• Mr Dekker is also planning to work with the health ministry to increase doctors’ awareness of the different forms of schooling available to children with disabilities. For example, a child who is unable to attend lessons in a mainstream class, could be taught in a small group or partly from home. Doctors need to know what is possible in order to make the correct assessment.

In recent years, an increasing number of children have been exempted from attending school under section 5a of the Compulsory Education Act, which stipulates that children with severe intellectual or physical disabilities do not need to attend school. In the past five years, however, exemptions have risen by more than 75% – from 3,100 in the 2010/2011 school year to over 5,500 in 2015/2016.

The state secretary is concerned about the rising number of children exempted from attending school and had already asked municipalities to look into the matter. Their widespread response in the form of more effective registration may partly explain the sharp increase in exemptions. For a number of these children, the reason why they are not required to attend school is abundantly clear: their disabilities are so severe that they are housed in care institutions. Municipalities are not required to offer learning programmes for this group.

School leaders receive time for master programme

News item, October 2016

School leaders in primary education receive more time to study. State secretary Dekker of Education makes the coming years €40 million (2017-2022) available so that school leaders can be replaced when they attend college. 

Now, school leaders already receive money for their professionalization, from the CAO-agreements. However, there seemed too often that a course is cancelled or consumes a lot of time, because there is no replacement. The expectation is that on yearly basis 250 school leaders make use of the grant.

State secretary Dekker is committed to the professionalization of school leaders for some time already. Therefore, he started the Nationale Schoolleiders Top (national school leaders top), along with the Algemene Vereniging van Schoolleiders (General Foundation for School leaders), the PO-council (primary education), Schoolleidersregister PO (register for school leaders in primary education) and NL2025, a platform of inter alia entrepreneurs, athletes, scientists and artists who are working for a better future for the Netherlands (all websites are only available in Dutch).

Last year, school leaders from secondary education were at turn, this time it is the turn for school leaders in primary education.

• School leaders can participate in the months after the top to regional gatherings, who are organised through AVS (in Dutch: Algemene School Vereniging).
• Through these gatherings, school leaders can continue to support each other in achieving their ambitions.
• Hereby, it is the intentions that participation will be designated as formal learning so that school leaders can use this for re-registration in the register for school leaders. 

Minister takes measures against discrimination in internships

News item, September 2016

Training companies who discriminate get away with it too easily. Dutch Minister Bussemaker finds internship discrimination unacceptable and announces measures.

It appears that young migrants need to make a greater effort to find an internship placement then native peers, according to a research of the Kennisplatform Integratie en Samenleving (KIS: Expertise Platform in Integration and Society; website only available in Dutch). The discrimination is not always deliberate and focusses mainly on girls wearing a headscarf and young people of which employers think they are ‘risky’.

Students and schools often choose to avoid discrimination instead of contesting it. They rather search for another internship placement, for example at an immigrant employer, rather than raising the subject, according KIS.

Bussemaker wants to increase the willingness to address internship discrimination.

• This is done by raising awareness of discrimination for students and teachers through trainings and guidelines measures.
• As of this school year, courses will start in 5 cities where MBO students (vocational education) and personnel learn to identify discrimination.
• Furthermore, the Minister wants that exploring or anonymous applying as part in tackling workplace discrimination, to contribute to an inclusive labour market.

Company visits

Once immigrant young people find an internship placement, it appears that the chance of entering into service at an employer is just a high as for native MBO students.

• Therefore Minister Bussemaker makes a budget available to start a pilot in 2017 with flash trainings and company visits, so that young people and employers can learn to know each other at an early stage.
• Furthermore, in September 2016 a project is started at a number of educational institutions in which introduce MBO students (level 4) can introduce new MBO interns (level 2) in a good way and coach them at training companies.

Now it is already regulated that companies who discriminate can lose the status of a training company. These companies can no longer make use of interns.

Millions made available for illiteracy

News item, September 2016

Dutch minister Bussemaker (education) is making 5 million euro available for regional initiatives to combat low literacy and for language training for employees with  low literacy skills.

The Minister has announced this in an educational video which will go online on the occasion of the Week of the Literacy. Approachable initiatives are able to receive funding to a maximum of 50.000 euro if they organize concrete activities to prevent or combat low literacy. A precondition for the grant is that the applicant deposits one third of the amount requested.

Even employers can make claims to the grant up to a maximum of 50.000 euro for language programmes for so-called employees with ‘’low language skills’’. More than half of the illiterate people in the Netherlands are working, but this group is due to their limited language skills, less productive and has fewer opportunities to grow in their profession.

With the grant scheme, minister Bussemaker wants to make a new contribution in the fight against illiteracy.

This year, the government invests over 74 million euro to prevent and combat illiteracy. For the first time, the government sets concrete goals: in the period of 2016-2018, 45.000 adults have to start a language training. In addition, 15.000 people have to be reached and 5000 new language volunteers must be trained amongst others to get rid of waiting lists. After 6 months in 2016, the counter stood at 12.380 reached people and 4700 new language volunteers.

Minister: invest in equal opportunities 

News item, September 2016

Dutch minister Bussemaker (education) is taking steps to guarantee that children of lower educated parents will have the same opportunities as children of parents with higher levels of education. Investments are being made to smoothen the transition from intermediate vocational education to higher education, students will no longer have to pay for selection procedures and a ‘Comenius scholarship’ focusing on equal opportunities will become available for teachers in higher education.

Smaller step between intermediate vocational education to higher education The transition between intermediate vocational and higher education is often too big for the students. In order to smoothen the transition the minister will invest 7.5 million, making continuing to study at an institution of higher education more easy. On paper, a lot has been done already, but still many students drop out. Therefore,  the minister decided to invite students to discuss the problems amongst each other and come up with possible solutions that they can present to the minister herself. In order to facilitate this process they will be supported by students who have made the transition between the two levels of education before.  Half of the 7.5 million  the Minister intends to invest will be available for plans send in by the students. The other half will be used for plans from the institutions, who are also being challenged to come up with possible solutions together.

No more selection fees The second measure that is being taken is abolition of fees for the selection procedure in higher education to make sure these costs are no longer restricting students in their choice of study. In higher education some institutions are allowed to select which students they allow to follow a certain course. This can be very valuable, both for the student and for the institution. However the Minister asks for special attention to be paid to the fact that these selection procedures do not harm the chances of a certain group of students. The selection fees that are being requested can be as high as 225 euro. This will no longer be allowed. Some institutions will be compensated for the losses due to this new measure.

Innovation in education for equal opportunities Good and solid education should be the first priority of universities higher education institutions. The Minister announces during the opening of the academic year that teachers in higher education can submit an application for the first 10 Comenius scholarships of 50.000 euro. These scholarships will provide an impulse to innovation in higher education. According to the minister the scholarships will be awarded to teachers who foster and promote equal opportunities and ‘inclusive education’  through innovation in education.

Toward 100% competent teachers in secondary education

News item June 2016

In 2014, pupils at secondary schools have almost always had lessons of a competent teacher. From the lessons given, a small 95% was taught by a competent teacher or a teacher in training. The figures are drawn out in the latest integral IPTO 2014 (only in Dutch available) (measuring qualified staff in the education field). In the coming period, Dutch state secretary, Mr. Dekker, is dedicated to achieve 100% lessons by competent teachers.

Differences between regions, subjects and types of education The research shows that the differences per region, subject and type of education are significant. At  VWO (pre-university education), almost 97% of the lessons are given by a competent teacher or a teacher in training. At HAVO (Senior General Secondary Education), the percentage is 96,5% and at VMBO (Lower Vocational Education) 91,6%.

Every teacher a competent teacher In the National Education Agreement, Dutch minister Bussemaker and state secretary Dekker have agreed with social partners in the education field that from 2017 onwards each educator should be competent. Finally, the Education Inspectorate will research 200 departments in 2016 and 2017 to determine whether the management board complies with the legal eligibility conditions.

The aim is that in 2017 all teachers are registered in Register of Teachers. Only competent teachers can register themselves. With an registration in the Register of Teachers, teachers can show their professional qualifications and keep up of the latest developments in their specialization.

Dutch minister Bussemaker of Education presents 200th promotion scholarship for teachers

News item June 2016

What kind of influence does English language offer have on the language development of children? Which effect does mindfulness have on employees? These are two of the thirty subjects where talented teachers will conduct doctoral research for in the coming years.

228 scholarships

The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science makes annually €9,5 million available for the promotion programs. With the scholarship, teachers have the opportunity to develop themselves further and to strengthen the transition between universities and schools. Most scholarship applications are submitted for research in the alfa, and gamma field. The majority of applicants are teachers from secondary education and HBO (higher professional education/universities of applied sciences). The promotion scholarships started in 2011, the promotions of the first round are expected this year. In total, 228 scholarships were awarded.

Promotion scholarship for teachers

Teachers who wish to be eligible for a promotion scholarship have to find a promoter at a Dutch university and hand in a research plan at the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research. There is a free choice for a research subject and it can be aimed for the alfa, beta, gamma and life sciences. It is important for the research that the acquired knowledge and research experience benefits both science and the teaching practice. Teachers who are admitted will be exempted  from education for a period of 5 years maximum of 0.4fte per year to work on their research with full-pay.

More than 290 million euro for schools in earthquake zone

News item June 2016

An amount of 290,5 million will be made available for strengthening and constructing schools in the earthquake zone in the northern province of the Netherlands, Groningen.  This is mostly an extra investment on top of the previous funding made available to tackle earth quake problems and to enhance the security, quality of life and the economic activity.

The Spring Memorandum 2016 has made 284 million euro available and in the governments agreements of 2014 and 2015, 1,2 milliard was made available. 

Strong and future-proof schools At request of the Dutch government, the National Coordinator Groningen (NCG only in Dutch available) has inventoried how much funding will be needed in the coming years to not only strengthen school buildings, but also to make them future-proof.

The inventory of the NCG concluded that the construction of 101 schools should be strengthened. In consultation with school boards, municipalities, the Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij (Dutch petroleum association - NAM) and the ministries of economic affairs and  education are committed to strengthen 41 schools. In addition 60 school buildings will be extracted  from their educational function. Instead there will come 29 new school buildings, in which sometimes one school or in other instances several schools will be placed under one roof.

Since the schools program is primarily  a response by earthquake-problems, NAM will invest 172,5 million euro in the schooling program. The nine concerned municipalities contribute 44,5 million euro and they will stand guarantee among other things for any additional expenses regarding the old buildings. The government invested 73,5 million: 50 million by the ministry of education and 23,5 by the ministry of economic affairs.

Strengthening and increasing sustainability in Groningen In the Spring Memorandum 2016 , the Dutch government announced at the end of May that they will make 284 million available for the work program of the NCG. In the coming period, the NCG along with the region will review the use of the funds to increase sustainability and reinforcement.

Register of Teachers will be legally enshrined

News item April 2016

Following lawyers, doctors and nurses, now there will be a Register for teachers as well. The government has decided to enshrine the Register for Teachers in law. Now teachers will be given more space and responsibility to empower their profession. The requirements of the Register are decided by the teachers themselves.

For teachers designed by teachers The Register of Teachers is an initiative of the educational cooperative (only in Dutch available), the representative of the professional team compromising theGeneral Union of Education (AOb), Beter Onderwijs Nederland (only available in Dutch) (Better Education Netherlands), the CNV Education (union for Education), the Federation of Trade Union for Education and the Platform Vakinhoudelijke Verenigingen Voortgezet Onderwijs (Platform for Professional Association Secondary Education) (the last two sites are only in Dutch available).

Since 2012, teachers can register themselves voluntarily. In 2017, registration of teachers will be compulsory. It is for the professional group to determine the establishment, the content and the implementation of the Register. Teachers will be held accountable, by their colleagues, for the maintenance of their capabilities. A Register contributes to the quality of the professional by stimulating teachers to maintain and improve their skills.

Only qualified teachers will be recognized in the Register of Teachers. Teachers who are not (yet) qualified, will be included in the porch of the Register.

The Education Council and the Council of State have, in their opinions, called for attention for a careful and phased implementation of the Register of Teachers. In order to meet this, the government has extended the introduction period with 4 years.

A good teacher makes all the difference The government supports teachers who want to follow an extra course or want to undergo in-service training. The objective is to have good and motivated teachers in front of the class, because they make the difference. A good teacher knows how to accomplish more with the pupils and works together with the colleagues and the school board on further improving the quality. An important condition therefore is that the knowledge and skills of the teacher should be at a good level and that he or she regularly maintains this.

Teachers can, for instance, claim the teacher’s development grant. The Dutch minister for education, Jet Bussemaker en state secretary Dekker have made almost 50 million available for this grant. Teachers can also apply for a contribution from the LerarenOntwikkelFonds (Fund for the development of teachers) to a maximum of €75.000. This fund supports teachers in realizing their own initiatives for better education. The Register of Teachers helps teachers to seize these opportunities.

Impulse for Life Long Learning

New items January 2016

From September 1, 2016 (new academic year) it will be easier for students and workers to re-educate themselves via part-time education. In the technology and ICT sector 12 different institutions for higher education will start experimenting with funding on demand (‘vraagfinanciering’). In these experiments, students are eligible for vouchers that they can use for education modules. For this, institutions adapt their courses to the needs of part-time students and their employers. The training can also be offered at the working place of the part-time student, apart from the location of the institution.

Employers in the technology and ICT sector mention that there is much need for better opportunities for retraining of - and additional training for their employees. Therefore 7 funded (by the government) and 5 non-funded institutions get to work together with sector organisations and companies to realize more customization in education.

In the healthcare and welfare sector institutions, employers and sector organisations will start with these experiments in 2017. In September 2016 20 institutions in higher education will start with pilots for more flexible education. In this pilot institutions have the maximum freedom to adapt education to the needs of the part-time students. There will be looked better at previously acquired knowledge and skills, and learning while working and online learning will be better utilized. So that more customization is possible and so that a study can be combined better with work and the private life.

Especially nowadays, with a rapidly changing labour market, there is a need for continuous training and retraining. The Minister of Education thinks it is important that these experiments and pilots will start this year, so that it will become easier for employees to follow part-time education that suits their needs.

Source of all of the above articles: Site of the Government(site with these articles is only available in Dutch).