Most primary schools in Limburg and Noord-Brabant are closed on Friday as teachers in these provinces strike for higher salaries and lower workloads.
teacher salaries
Apr 5 '18 09:10
Around 18 thousand primary school teachers in the Netherlands are still unjustly in the lowest salary bracket, despite agreements made with school boards and trade unions to fix this problem in 2008, the Telegraaf reports based on figures from education institute DUO.
The issue of underpaid teachers was already raised in 2008, when agreements were made to help more teachers rise to a higher pay bracket. In that year it was agreed that by 2014 at least 40 percent would be in a higher pay bracket.
Mar 14 '18 09:15
Primary school teachers in Noord-Holland, Utrecht and Flevoland are striking today for higher salaries and a lower workload. Thousands of teachers are expected to march through Amsterdam, from the Waterlooplein to the Museumplein, AD reports.
The march underlines that primary education is still on 'code red', according to educational organizations. They say that the quality of education is under severe pressure due to the rising teacher shortage.
Mar 9 '18 14:00
The Dutch government will give primary schools and schools for special education more money next year to reduce teachers' workload. The Ministry of Education will divide 236 million euros among the 7 thousand schools next year. And that amount will increase in the coming years, RTL Nieuws reports based on figures from the Ministry.
Feb 14 '18 08:22
The majority of primary schools in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe are closed today as around 6 thousand teachers go on strike for higher salaries and lower workloads. This is the first of a relay strike, starting today in the North. On March 14th primary school teachers in Flevoland, Utrecht, and Noord-Holland will strike, combined with a demonstration in Amsterdam, NOS reports.
The strikes are supported by the PO-Front, a joint action group consisting of trade unions, school leaders and managers.
Dec 12 '17 09:33
Primary school teachers across the Netherlands are striking today for the second time this year. They want the government to push more money into increasing their salaries and decreasing their workload. PO in Actie, the action group that organized the strike, expects that more than 90 percent of primary school teachers are participating, NOS reports.
Dec 5 '17 12:11
Teachers at primary schools across the Netherlands will be striking again on Tuesday, December 12th, primary school action group PO in actie announced. The strike will last all day, and parents will have to arrange other care for their children, NOS reports.
Nov 7 '17 13:50
The government is planning to cut tens of millions of euros from the primary education budget, according to the PO-Raad, the sector organization for primary education in the Netherlands. The cuts amounts to 61 million euros in the coming years, and is due to accumulating deficits in the education budget of previous years, RTL Nieuws reports.
The PO-Raad is furious that deficits on the previous government's Ministry of Education budget is now being transferred to the new government.
Oct 20 '17 12:00
The millions of euros the new government set aside for primary education in its government agreement, is not enough for primary school teachers.
Oct 9 '17 19:06
The VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie are now really very almost done with their government agreement, ChristenUnie leader Gert-Jan Segers said to NOS on Friday afternoon. But he thinks the four parties will have to meet again on Monday.
There will be no meetings over the weekend. The ChristenUnie respects the Sunday rest. "And on Saturday I have other plans", Segers said to the broadcaster.
Oct 5 '17 09:35
With 90 percent on primary school teachers in the Netherlands striking today, many parents are left wondering what to do with their kids. Thanks to activities arranged by museums, theaters, sport schools and organizations across the country, there is a multitude of options.
Oct 5 '17 07:35
Teacher union AOb thinks that all 6,500 primary schools across the Netherlands will not open today as primary school teachers strike for a higher salary and lower workload. The strike continues, despite reports published on Wednesday night that the new government set an extra 500 million euros aside for primary education. Around 90 percent of primary school teachers are participating in the strike, NOS reports.
"We hardly hear of any schools that will not close. And if we don't get enough money soon, we may close for two days", an AOb spokesperson said to news wire ANP.
Oct 2 '17 08:56
If a primary school teacher strike organized for Thursday does not have the desired effect, the teachers will follow it up with another two days of striking, protest group PO in Actie announced.
Sep 19 '17 08:25
Today is the last Budget Day for the departing Rutte II cabinet. In tradition and ceremony, the day is expected to look like every other Budget Day, with politicians decked out in fancy hats, the Royals arriving at the Ridderzaal in The Hague in a carriage and the famous balcony scene after the throne speech. But given the current VVD and PvdA government's departing status, no big news is expected in the budget. Big changes are left up to the new government.
Sep 6 '17 09:50
Primary school teachers across the Netherlands will strike on Thursday, October 5th in an attempt to push the government to increase their salaries, unions CNV Education and FNV announced.
"Politicians really need to pay up, we want a fair salary and less work pressure in primary education", CNV Education chairman Loek Schueler said to news wire ANP. "The vague commitments politics made so far are insufficient for structurally better education."
Aug 31 '17 08:45
The VVD and PvdA managed to come to an agreement on increasing teachers' salaries in next year's budget, PvdA leader Lodewijk Asscher announced on Wednesday night. The two parties agreed that a "substantial amount" will go towards teachers in the 2018 budget. With that a government crisis was averted, and the departing VVD-PvdA coalition lives to see another day, AD reports.
Aug 30 '17 15:30
The VVD and PvdA may have found a solution to resolving their disagreement about increasing teachers' salaries in the budget for next year, VVD chairman Halbe Zijlstra said before entering the second round of budget talks at the Ministry of Finance on Wednesday afternoon, AD reports.
Exactly what this solution is, he did not say. "We're now going to see if it really is a solution", Zijlstra said to the newspaper.
Aug 30 '17 07:55
It's D-day for the VVD and PvdA government. The 2018 budget must be finalized today, so that it can be submitted to the Council of State on Thursday, but the parties are still clashing over salary increases for teachers, the Telegraaf reports.
Aug 29 '17 09:03
The compromise reached by the departing government on increasing teachers' salaries, is still on shaky ground. The VVD and PvdA reached an agreement, but formation parties CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie are reluctant to give the go-ahead, AD reports.
Aug 25 '17 10:20
The current government plans to make more money available for teacher salaries, primary school education and Defense in a compromise to solve a conflict about teacher salaries between the VVD and PvdA, Prime Minister and VVD leader Mark Rutte confirmed. Though he stressed that there is no deal yet, NU.nl reports.
Aug 23 '17 09:12
The negotiations on forming a new Dutch government will happen outside The Hague on Thursday and Friday. The VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie will be meeting on De Zwaluwenberg in Hilversum, the workplace of the Inspector General of the Armed Forces, for those two days, NOS reports.
Aug 11 '17 09:24
The VVD and PvdA's squabble over increasing teachers' salaries in the budget for next year, has the teachers themselves furious. According to primary school teacher action group PO in Actie, the parties are playing "political games" with their livelihoods and more protest actions will follow this fall, Thijs Roovers of the group said to RTL Nieuws.
Aug 10 '17 11:50
The VVD and PvdA are butting heads over teacher salaries. The PvdA stated that they will not sign next year's budget if it doesn't contain higher wages for teachers. The VVD is digging in their heels, according to the Telegraaf.
With government formation talks between the VVD, CDA, D66 and ChristenUnie still ongoing, and with no end in sight, it is up to the departing VVD-PvdA government to come up with the 2018 budget.
