Just a few days before school resumes for French-speaking students, hundreds of teaching positions are still unfilled as the teacher shortage shows no sign of improving, RTL Info reports.
As of 17 August, there were still 400 vacancies for teachers on the jobécole teachers' job platform. Each year, the shortage of teachers causes problems for schools across the country.
Many schools are sounding the alarm. In the village of Gesves, buildings and grounds have been prepared for the arrival of students but classrooms are still missing their teachers. They have no teacher for language immersions for years five and six, despite months of searching.
The school now has just a week to fill this position, failing which it will be forced to ditch the Dutch-language education. Dutch language teachers are especially in short supply in French-speaking areas. In Brussels, some Dutch-speaking schools are toying with the idea of introducing a four day school week to reduce the burden of the teacher shortage.
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The lack of teachers is also affecting secondary schools. At the Royal Athenaeum of Beauraing, seven teachers are missing.
“As a consequence, there are lessons that cannot be organised, studies are being postponed, pupils and teachers are increasingly demotivated, and parents are understandably dissatisfied,” Danielle Junius, director of the school, told RTL.
School heads fear that the staff shortage will become more severe in coming years, in particular as a result of reforms in teacher training.
