Amsterdam teacher shortage: 7,900 kids don't have a teacher yet

Around 7,900 children in Amsterdam do not yet know who their teacher will be next year, according to BBO, an administrative group of 35 primary schools in the city. Amsterdam primary schools currently still have 315 vacancies, Het Parool reports.

The primary school teacher shortage in Amsterdam is expected to increase to 500 open vacancies by 2023, which means that 15 thousand pupils won't have a teacher.

Over the past months, the Amsterdam municipality implemented a range of measures to address this shortage, ranging from bonuses for teachers, higher travel allowance and giving teachers priority on rental housing. So far it had little effect, according to the newspaper.

According to website lerarentekortisnu.nl , which registers the ways in which schools deal with absent teachers, some 15 thousand pupils were sent home in Amsterdam over the past six months because their teacher was sick or absent. Unqualified persons gave lessons 377 times, and a class of pupils were divided into other classes 445 times.