Thousands of teachers protest in Antwerp against education report, the first of a series of action days
May 7, 2024
Thousands of teachers protest in Antwerp against education report, the first of a series of action days
by atrocious_cleva82
1 comment
>The reason for the protest is a report commissioned by Minister of Education Ben Weyts (N-VA). The Committee of Wise Men, led by Dirk Van Damme and Paul Yperman, developed 70 proposals for the professionalization of the teaching profession . When the report was published in December, the unions already responded critically.
>ACOD Education, COC and VSOA Education have decided to take action against the recommendations. They dismiss them as “fantasies, ill-considered measures and recipes from the past”, which will not help to make education “of high quality and attractive”.
>”For many staff members, the proposals of the Committee of Wise Men are the opposite of what is necessary. The staff members, the real experts, are once again not being heard by policy makers. With our actions we want to give our members and anyone who wants to join us, the give us the opportunity to make that voice louder,” it said.
>For example, one of the proposals is to introduce a 38-hour working week for teachers. But they don’t like that, says Koen Van Kerckhoven of the Christian Education Center. “It is an attack on the current status, which makes them feel disrespected. They do not intend to work anymore for the same pay to solve the teacher shortage or to have to give up leave systems, while this also requires attention in their work-life -balance.”
1 comment
>The reason for the protest is a report commissioned by Minister of Education Ben Weyts (N-VA). The Committee of Wise Men, led by Dirk Van Damme and Paul Yperman, developed 70 proposals for the professionalization of the teaching profession . When the report was published in December, the unions already responded critically.
>ACOD Education, COC and VSOA Education have decided to take action against the recommendations. They dismiss them as “fantasies, ill-considered measures and recipes from the past”, which will not help to make education “of high quality and attractive”.
>”For many staff members, the proposals of the Committee of Wise Men are the opposite of what is necessary. The staff members, the real experts, are once again not being heard by policy makers. With our actions we want to give our members and anyone who wants to join us, the give us the opportunity to make that voice louder,” it said.
>For example, one of the proposals is to introduce a 38-hour working week for teachers. But they don’t like that, says Koen Van Kerckhoven of the Christian Education Center. “It is an attack on the current status, which makes them feel disrespected. They do not intend to work anymore for the same pay to solve the teacher shortage or to have to give up leave systems, while this also requires attention in their work-life -balance.”