Education unions demand extra budget for ‘career pact’

Crevits recently proposed increasing the hours that all secondary school teachers spend giving lessons to 22 hours a week. At present, the number of hours a teacher stands in front of the class depends on the grade. Teachers in the first grade (first two years) of secondary school teach 22 hours, those in second grade teach for 21 hours, and those in the third grade for 20.

This measure, said Crevits, would require staff restructuring and therefore generate an annual savings of €150 million. With this budget, Crevits would improve job security and support for young teachers and ensure that the profession remains viable for older teachers, she said.

The unions said in a statement that the government has to show that it is serious about investing in quality education by allocating this budget now. Only then can substantive discussions on the career pact begin, they said.

“I don’t find it surprising that the unions are demanding extra budgets, but I won’t be intimidated,” Crevits told parliament. “Let us please work in the coming weeks on the very necessary substantive discussions, without taboos.”

Photo courtesy Klasse