Mallorca will slash 18,000 tourist beds from its accommodation offer
The island is dead set on doing something about the problem of overtourism
The first group of helpers organised by the city involves some 50 retired teachers and psychologists
The city launched a new programme that will help people to fill in the vacancies in the educational system
Today, the city of Ghent in Belgium launched a new campaign to tackle the schoolteacher shortage, casting a wide net to fill the vacant positions as quickly as possible. As Belgium is getting ready to go back to school, the shortage is becoming more and more noticeable.
Alderman for Education Elke Decruynaere took to social media to kickstart the promotion of the campaign. She asked people to spread the word and convince anyone they know to apply for the comprehensive teacher fast-track programme the city is now offering.
Currently, there are no precise numbers on the shortage, however, local authorities estimate that it is more than 100 vacancies. If a solution cannot be presented quickly, this could have a severe impact on the quality of education in the city. Every filled vacancy counts.
Ghent now offers ten types of programmes, depending on the applicant’s educational status as the system is trying to be as flexible as possible to tackle the issue by the end of the year.
They include people with a secondary school diploma or people without a secondary school diploma, people with a bachelor’s or master’s degree, the unemployed, people with professional experience looking to change their field of occupation, former teachers, people with any kind of pedagogical diploma or with interests in special types of teaching. It even targets retirees.
Alderman Decruynaere was quoted by the Flemish broadcasting agency, the VRT, saying that all Ghent residents are welcome, especially people with pedagogical experience or education. She explained that a lot of pressure can be relieved through help with logistics and administration work as well.
The first group of helpers is organised by the city and it involves 50 retired teachers and psychologists. Local authorities, though, are concerned about the longevity of their efforts, as they need a lot more and young people to fix the problem sustainably.
Flanders has been trying to deal with a growing teacher shortage for some years now, with a recent study by the European Commission, published in 2020, outlining a troubling trend – a quarter of newly trained teachers leave the position within the first five years. The shortage has only been exacerbated during the pandemic – the new leading cause for teacher dropouts.
There is some light at the end of the tunnel, however, as the situation is getting so bad that local authorities have to find sweeping new solutions. The new educational programme is supposed to bear fruit by the end of this year, with a fresh batch of teaching staff.
The island is dead set on doing something about the problem of overtourism
The event, officially called Krakow Equality March, will be held next week
However, this option will not yet be available for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June
You can find it in the capital Sofia, where it was installed upon the initiative of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
People in both cities got to sit together both in person and virtually
However, this option will not yet be available for the upcoming European Parliament elections in June
You can find it in the capital Sofia, where it was installed upon the initiative of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
In case they have a patch of unoccupied land that they don’t know what to do with
The scheme is primarily aimed at daily commuters
The island is dead set on doing something about the problem of overtourism
The event, officially called Krakow Equality March, will be held next week
The scheme is primarily aimed at daily commuters
Urban dwellers across the EU are having a say in making their surroundings friendlier to people and the environment.
Forests in the EU can help green the European construction industry and bolster a continent-wide push for architectural improvements.
Apply by 10 November and do your part for the transformation of European public spaces
Catch up with some recommendations for the 2024 European Capital of Culture programme from the mayor of Tartu
An interview with the ICLEI regional director for Europe аfter the close of COP28
An interview with a member of the No Hate Speech Network team