Education network wants contracts for new teachers

As older, often tenured, teachers usually get priority in staffing, new teachers are left with temporary jobs for several years until they get a permanent contract. “Many young people quit before then; it’s almost a knock-out race,” said Boeve. “In a few years, the education sector will need a lot of new teachers, so we need to make the job more appealing to students.”

Boeve proposed giving teachers who are just starting out a contract for one year in one school. “In one school, a teacher would also get guidance during their first year,” he said. “At the point, this isn’t realistic everywhere in the region, but it will be do-able by 2018, with the planned construction of new schools.”

In the case of not enough work in one school, these new teachers could instead assist established teachers to develop their skills. Vilvoorde, just outside of Brussels, has a similar system already in place. This year, 12 teachers were given a full-time contract for one year to be part of a replacement pool within the local education network.

Photo: Teacher-training students attend a discussion panel on secondary school education reform in Flanders
© VSKO