Dutch secondary school teachers should at least have a masters degree and follow continual retraining in order to improve standards, the education advisory council says in a new report.

The aim is to improve teacher expertise and enable the Netherlands to better compete with other European countries, the council says.
Education minister Marja van Bijsterveldt said in a reaction the council had made its position very clear and that she will present an action plan to improve teaching standards before the summer.
The AOb teaching union said it is difficult to see how the move to a compulsory masters degree should be financed.
‘In our opinion, if the government wants young teachers to get a masters degree at the same time as working five days a week… the government and schools should pay the bill,’ spokesman Ton Rolvink told Trouw.
The government plans to scrap all grants for masters and second degrees.