teacher strike

Not only the government, but also schools themselves are responsible for the major problems facing education, Eugenie Stolk, the new director of teachers' union AOb said to newspaper AD. On Thursday and Friday, primary- and secondary school teachers across the country will strike for more investment in education and a solution to the teacher shortage.

The year 2019 was a busy one for the Netherlands, with elections and strikes, multiple high profile murders and shootings, and a summer full of heat records, severe storms and poisonous caterpillars. Here follows a review of the top ten stories of this year. 

After a year of difficult negotiations, a collective bargaining agreement was reached for primary education. The trade unions and employers agreed on a 4.5 percent wage increase for all teaching staff. They will also receive a once-off payment of 33 percent of their monthly wage and a once-off amount of 875 euros, education union AOb announced.

Teacher union AOb is calling on its members to strike on January 30th and 31st next year. The largest teachers' union in the Netherlands is demanding higher wages for its members, so that the teaching profession remains attractive in the fight against the growing teacher shortage. Contract talks between the unions and employers in primary education stalled last week.

More than 4 thousand schools in the Netherlands are closed today due to a large strike in primary- and secondary education. Teachers, school directors and other educational staff are striking for a structural solution against the teacher shortage in the country.

Teachers in primary- and secondary education throughout the Netherlands will strike on Wednesday, November 6th. The education unions gave the government until Sunday to respond to their demands for more money in education. The unions received no response, so the previously announced strike will now definitely happen, the unions said, NOS reports.

Teachers of all levels of education are striking on Friday for more investment in education, because the quality is under pressure. More than half of primary schools are closed today. The teachers will gather on the Malieveld in The Hague to protest, NU.nl reports.

Around 95 percent of teachers at Geldrop primary schools De Regenboog, Beneden Beekloop, and De Gazenbloem are not at work on Monday, the teachers announced in a press release. They called in sick on Sunday night due to a long-ongoing conflict within foundation 't Nut, which covers these three primary schools. Parents of pupils of De Gazenbloem were told not to bring their kids to school on Monday, Omroep Brabant and NOS report.

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.

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.

The teachers want more money for salaries and reducing workloads. So far the new government made 720 million euros available to primary education, but according to the teachers this is far from enough. They want at least 1.4 million euros. 

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.