Why More Dutch Teachers are Choosing to Work in Flanders, Belgium

Every now and then Miss Eline makes a blunder. “You must walk in the hallway,” she calls to the children. Suddenly the students start running. It turns out that walking is running, and walking is walking in Flemish, says 27-year-old Dutch teacher Eline Guis. Fortunately, the students can laugh about it and understand the teacher better and better. Guis, who comes from Sliedrecht, moved to Grimbergen in Belgium two years ago. She teaches group 5 of the Kakelbontschool in Brussels. “At first I moved for love, but I found out that Belgium is the place where I want to be a teacher.”

In Flanders, more and more Dutch teachers teach. Last year, 1,010 Dutch teachers worked across the border, reports the Flemish Ministry of Education and Training (OV). In the 2017-2018 school year, there were 770, an increase of more than 30 percent in five years. Most Dutch teachers work in Antwerp and the Brussels-Capital Region, in secondary education and primary education, public transport reports.

Teachers with whom NRC spoke most often mentioned the following reasons for working in Belgium: more prestige among the students, better working conditions, more holidays, lower work pressure and considerably smaller classes. “Salaries rise in line with inflation, healthcare costs are lower and the children are more independent,” says Eline Guis.

In February, Flemish Member of Parliament Karolien Grosemans (N-VA) Numbers about the number of Dutch teachers in Flanders with the Flemish minister of education Ben Weyts (N-VA). Neither had an explanation for the increase. This prompted the CDA and PVV to submit written questions to the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) last month about the impact of the departure on Dutch education. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science replied that it would invest in teachers’ salaries and tackle work pressure. Although teachers in the Netherlands generally do not earn less than in Flanders. The Ministry wants to ensure that the teaching profession is and remains attractive, so that teachers remain in education and more people want to work in the sector.

Classes too large

At the front of teacher Eline Guis’s class, a student is not paying attention. He walks around while Guis is busy giving extra explanations to the mini-class. In this group, children receive more help, while the rest are expected to continue working independently. The Kakelbontschool has only one group of each grade, with a maximum of 22 students. “In the Netherlands I had about 30 students in my class. That was sometimes too much for me.” According to the Flemish statistical office the number of pupils per class in primary and secondary education in Flanders is one of the lowest compared to neighboring countries. Compared to other European countries, the Netherlands appears to have almost the most pupils per class.

Just when Miss Guis has turned around, the boy starts cheating, after which he gives his buddy a boxing. He quickly returns to his seat. “Did you do those sums yourself? Or were your eyes glued to another script?” asks Guis, frowning. He remains silent and nods obediently. “In Flanders I get more respect and prestige from the students than in the Netherlands,” says Guis.

“When Eline gives a dictation, it sometimes happens that the children write it down incorrectly, because of her Dutch accent,” says An Ghys, director of the Kakelbontschool. She notices that she can give Guis much more direct feedback than her Flemish colleagues. “Eline handles her feedback professionally, while the Flemish quickly take it personally.” Ghys also notices that Guis has more experience in teaching with technological learning tools.

Not only Dutch teachers are looking for a job across the border. The number of Flemish teachers working in the Netherlands is about the same as the other way around, estimates Tamar van Gelder, chairman of the General Education Union. They mainly work in Zeeland, North Brabant and Limburg, she says. According to her, Belgians find working in the Netherlands attractive because of the freedom, individual approach to teaching, and the responsibility that teachers are given.

Guis experiences this freedom precisely at her school in Belgium. “In the Netherlands I worked for each subject using a fixed method. At the Kakelbontschool I can be inspired by all kinds of different methods and I come up with a theme to which I link my lessons and lesson goals.”

Jump and stretch

The children in Guis’ class are jumping, stretching and stretching to warm up for the next subject. “It’s time for gym class and role play!” cries Miss Guis. One half goes with the gymnastics teacher and the rest stays with her. Religious classes and physical education classes are given here by specialist teachers. According to the ministry, it is not mandatory to use subject teachers or assistants.

“During the hours when the students are taught by subject teachers, I am expected to work on administration or to have care conversations with my care coordinator, the management or parents.” In the Netherlands she usually had to continue working in her spare time.

At the end of the school day, a sad girl walks up to Guis. “Miss, he called me a stupid donkey!” She points to a group of boys in the hallway. “I need to have a word with you,” says Miss Eline to one of them. The boy listens to the teacher without hesitation or protest. It is soon resolved. The pleasant atmosphere in the classroom and at school, Guis thinks, is partly due to the many group-forming activities they have throughout the school year.

‘Easy job’

Like the Netherlands, Belgium has a teacher shortage. “It was easy to find a job in Brussels,” says Guis. In Flanders, there are twice as many teaching vacancies as there were five years ago. There is a shortage of about 10,000 full-time teachers, reports Koen Pelleriaux, director of the Flemish educational institution GO!. In the Netherlands there is a shortage of 9,700 full-time teachers in primary education. The figures are less clear in secondary education, but the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science estimates that in five years’ time there will be a shortage of more than 2,000 full-time jobs in secondary education.

As soon as the school bell rings, the children want to leave the classroom as quickly as possible. “Wherever I am: children remain children,” says Eline Guis.