Monday 06 July 2020

Sharp rise in students signing up for teacher training college

Sharp rise in students signing up for teacher training college

The number of people signing up for full-time primary school teacher training college has gone up 11% this year to over 7,000 students. In addition, a further 2,200 people plan to start a part-time course, a rise of 15% on the last academic year intake, according to new figures from national teacher training association Lobo, Officials say the coronavirus crisis may have made the job of primary school teacher more visible, leading more people to consider teaching as a career.... More >

Covid-19 causes primary school closure

Covid-19 causes primary school closure

A primary school in Vlaardingen, near Rotterdam, has closed it doors until after the summer holidays because of a coronavirus outbreak. Two parents and one child are known to have the virus and two teachers are waiting at home for the results of a test. Last week a teacher, a parent and a pupil tested positive. ‘We would have preferred to keep the school open for the last few weeks, but we think safety should come first,’ Rien Wiegeraad, of... More >

Amsterdam teachers to get €1000 bonus

Amsterdam teachers to get €1000 bonus

Amsterdam primary school teachers are to be given an annual bonus of €1,000, and an extra €1,500 on top if they opt for a job in a school in a disadvantaged neighbourhood, in an effort to stop more teachers from leaving. The measure is part of a four-year package aimed at combating the shortage of teachers in the four big cities and Almerem which was announced by the education ministry on Tuesday in response to emergency plans drawn up by... More >

Covid-19 leads to graduation delays

Covid-19 leads to graduation delays

Tens of thousands of students face delays in completing their degrees because coronavirus put a stop on formal classes, practical exams and internships, according to research carried out for student lobby group ISO. In particular, students say the quality of their courses has suffered by the shift to online education, with three quarters saying that the standard of lectures has gone down. Some 10,000 university and hbo college students took part in the survey, which showed some 30% have not... More >

Students to help children catch up

Students to help children catch up

Universities and schools are going to work together to encourage trainee teachers to help children who have fallen behind in their studies because of coronavirus school closures, ministers and university organisations VH and VSNU have said. The schools will identify the pupils who are in need of help and the universities will pair them up with students who will either earn study points or a bit of extra holiday money. The scheme will be financed from the €244m which was... More >

School canteens fear snack bar competition

School canteens fear snack bar competition

New criteria come into effect for school canteens in September, but catering companies fear the healthy eating rules will drive pupils to nearby snackbars, the Financieele Dagblad reported on Tuesday. The government’s food advisory agency Voedingscentrum and Jogg, a foundation to encourage health eating among the young, have drawn up new guidelines for school canteens which look at what teenagers put on bread, as well as the amount of fibre in the bread itself. Cheese and cold meats will still... More >

Dutch schools miss special needs provision

Dutch schools miss special needs provision

Efforts to provide a proper education for all children, including those with special needs, in the normal Dutch school system have not been as successful as hoped. An official evaluation of the 2014 ‘suitable education’ law, commissioned by the Dutch education ministry, suggests that the system is falling short due to bureaucracy, limited budgets and confusion about whether schools or parents should bear extra costs. The new law has not led to a substantial increase in children with special needs... More >

Secondary schools poised to reopen

Secondary schools poised to reopen

Most secondary school pupils in the Netherlands will attend physical lessons just one day a week when high schools reopen on June 2, according to research. The secondary schools council VO Raad polled 400 head teachers and found a wide variation in plans. Some schools are only admitting pupils for meetings or tests, while a handful of schools are only allowing children from certain classes back. Most are opting for a mixture of meetings and lessons in school and online... More >

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