Teacher-shortage crisis in autumn

Teacher, cases of violence-teachers-osloTeacher, ill: Pixabay.com

Norwegian students will need close to 1700 teachers when the next school year starts, as shown by fresh numbers from the Education Union.

 

“The new rule regarding teacher-to-student ratio adopted in November would start from August 1st. This means that Norwegian schools will lack 1,666 teachers, according to federal calculations,” NRK writes.

 

The rule implies a goal of a maximum of 16 students per teacher for the 1st to the 4th-grade students, and 21 students per teacher for the 5th to the 10th graders. The requirements will become stricter from the autumn of 2019: 15 students per teacher in the 1st to 4th grade, and max 20 students per teacher in the 5th to 10th grade.

 

“In the autumn of 2019, the shortage of teachers will increase by another 917, bringing it up to 2583,” related the Education Union to NRK.

 

“It is a high number and we are uncertain how we will be able to get so many teachers in such a short period of time. We have to do our best to ensure that more teachers return to the profession, more people would want to go into the profession, and that some teachers can be wooed back, “says Deputy Chairman of the Education Federation, Terje Skyvulstad.

 

He emphasizes that the association is happy that the regulation is introduced, but that more measures must be taken to ensure more teachers will be ready by autumn.

 

County leader in Rogaland, Gunn Reidun Tednes-Aaserød, is calling it a crisis.

 

“It is not often that I am using the word “crisis”, but that is actually what we’re facing. We have a teacher recruitment crisis, and I’m simply worried, “she says.

 

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today