Union against suggestion for teachers to work another hour
The proposal could lead to savings of €60 million a year without cutting wages but the Christian education union says it puts about 1,500 jobs under threat
Umbrella organisations in support
Jos Van der Hoeven of COC told Radio 1 that the measure would result in a loss of about 1,500 jobs. He said that teachers with temporary contracts would be particularly hard hit.
Chris Smits, secretary-general of the Catholic schools network VSKO, said: “If we need to save money anyway, we prefer this method over cuts in working budgets or the lesson periods.” Raymonda Verdyck, managing director of the GO! education network of schools, is also a proponent. “An alternative would be to cut down on wages, and that seems unacceptable to me.”
The school network umbrella organisations say they would even consider a complete equalisation, meaning each teacher would work 22 hours, as they do in the first year. A teacher in the second year currently gives 21 hours of lessons a week and one in the third year 20.
Photo: IngImage
Educational system
million school-going children in 2013
million euros Flemish education budget for new school infrastructures in 2013
percent of boys leaving secondary school without a diploma
- Education in Flanders
- Secondary education reform
- European Encyclopaedia on National Education Systems
