The PO Council recognizes the problems: “We hear from our members that it is quite a challenge. The teacher shortage was already a problem and now the corona virus is also added.” The organization therefore advises schools to only focus on the essential. “The lessons are the priority. What can lose weight is different for every school, but they really have to set priorities.”
To care
There seems to be little hope that things will get better in the near future among primary schools. More than 400 schools indicate that they expect more problems due to dropout after the autumn break, especially now that the cold season has arrived.
They expect that more teachers will be infected and that more classes will have to be sent home. Some also indicate that they are afraid of burnout complaints among colleagues, now that the work pressure is increasing due to the many care for other classes.
But there are also serious concerns about learning disadvantages. Kerssens: “Because no matter how hard we try, there is simply less peace and stability. And for students it works better if they just sit in the classroom instead of remote lessons.”
Quick test and stay open
Quick tests for teachers would help a lot, say almost all primary schools surveyed. The PO Council also hopes that teachers will be given priority if those tests become available. They then have to wait less long for a result and can get back to work faster.
Few schools are in favor of school closure. This also applies to the PO Council: “We are in favor of remaining open, also because we saw in the spring what a few weeks without school does to students. As long as possible, the schools remain open.”
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