More foreign teachers at Dutch schools

An increasing number of foreign teachers want to teach at Dutch schools, the Volkskrant reports based on figures from executive education agency DUO. Teachers from abroad know they have a solid chance of finding a job in the Netherlands due to the increasing teacher shortage in the country.

In 2015 DUO received 742 applications from foreign teachers who wanted their qualifications recognized in the Netherlands. Two years later, that increased by some 300. This year DUO also received over a thousand such requests.

These involve teachers from Flanders who want to work across the border, or teachers from Germany or France who want to give German or French lessons in the Netherlands, according to the newspaper.

Dutch schools are pleased with this development. In this way they can prevent having to put an unqualified teacher, a retired teacher or a parent in front of the class. Some schools in the Dutch border areas even recruit across the border with advertisements in free local papers.

Primary school organization PO-Raad told the Volkskrant that it has "no objection" to the use of foreign teachers. "As long as they meet the requirements."