After the strikes from the farmers and the construction workers the teachers put themselves also in the forefront. They announced a strike and put their action where their mouth was. They striked.

The government did state a few days earlier that would give for one time almost half a billion euro’s. A nice gesture in which the unions agreed almost. But the problem is not only in the euro’s but more in the structure of the education system and how the government deals with it.

The government gives already for decades not enough support. This has to do with the neo-liberal mindset. More distance. Do it yourselve. More market forces. Hoping for more effeciency. The only thing that happens because of this is a transition from public education to a more and more private education. In and with that transfer lots of money can be earned.

It is almost deliberate what politics is doing. Letting capitalism gets its hands on public responsibilities in set up for citizens to create freedom equality for everyone.

Going back to a little more detail. The government is in favor the lumpsum arrangement. Therefore schools did change into companies. With directors , board of directors and managers. They almost can do what they like. There only a little eye on what they are really doing. Bu not much. The schools just get the money and can do as the please. A nice building. Fine there should be a roof above your head. They money should be used wisely and therefore they are parking and invest in shares as well.

There are more things which makes that the money is not being spent at teachers and teaching materials directly. At the moment the salary and terms for teachers in the higher education are quite high. They could share that more with the teachers in the basic education.

A good question for the “controling” minister and his clerk should be how many teachers are on the payroll and how many are actually in front of the class and really teaching. My experience is that the numbers will be very confronting.

A teacher who is not in front of the class is not a teacher. Teachers should nt be dependent on the schools but from an appropriate recognition form the government. Their salary and direct budget should be provided by the government. The school administration should talk on an equal level with the teachers. The indirect budget and building should be brought in by the school director and his administration. This will become more and more a digital platform. Depending on the knowledge which should be transferred.

The government should rethink their public task and create a clear vision on what is really important in the filed of education. In my view the transfer of knowledge in an objective way by independent against a good salary and good support. The rest is not important and than you should create the system accordingly.