Finally (although rather late), Dutch universities will require some teaching qualifications of their teachers. The situation used to be such, that to be a teacher in the Netherlands, you needed a special diploma. Different ones for teaching toddlers (4-6 year olds), for primary school (6-12), and a variety for highschool depending on the level and the age group of the children (12-16/18). But then, to teach university students — incidentally, the highest education you can partake in in the Netherlands — no educational qualifications were required. Teaching is / was a duty bestowed on the University research personnel. Now arguments can be made for such a situation, but case in point is that even someone teaching toddlers has/had to have vastly superior educational qualification than those teaching the pinnacle of our society.
Now the rectores magnifici of the Dutch universities have signed an agreement on this. There will be a 200 hour study program which results in a “BKO” certificate. And apparently, they want to create possibilities for excellent teachers to further their careers — unheard of, so far the only way up at a university is research. Interesting times ahead, but all in all I am at least glad that we will have some teaching requirements for those who teach our finest.
Currently playing: Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, New Super Mario Bros (the minigames).