Keep PhD grant for teachers, says Education Council

The government is scrapping grants that allow teachers to carry out PhD research and grants that enable them to pursue a second degree. A pity, says the Education Council.

In an effort to improve education, previous administrations devised ways for teachers to continue developing. It cuts both ways: the profession becomes more attractive (helping to retain teachers) and the quality of education improves.

This led to the introduction of the teacher grant and the PhD grant. With the teacher grant, they can pursue a second bachelor’s or master’s degree: tuition fees and study leave were covered. With the PhD grant, they could undertake doctoral research alongside their job as a teacher.

Since 2008

The teacher grants have existed since 2008. They are so popular that in 2020 there was not enough funding and some teachers had to wait their turn. In the 2023/2024 academic year, more than 5,300 teachers made use of them, some of whom worked in vocational education and universities of applied sciences.

The PhD grants have existed since 2010. By now, nearly seven hundred teachers have completed a PhD through them. But both the teacher grants and the PhD grants have been cut by the previous cabinet. They will come to an end in the coming years – unless the new cabinet takes action.

Maintain these grants, the Education Council now advises in a report titled Leren van Onderzoek. It addresses the tendency towards a ‘proven effective approach’ in education and how this differs from ‘informed practice’.

Basing decisions on knowledge

‘Proven effective’ sounds appealing, but in practice it is not workable. It fails to do justice to the context and complexity of education, the council argues. After all, the context and goals of education are constantly changing.

According to the council, it is better to train teachers well and ensure they have sufficient understanding of research. “If teachers base their teaching on knowledge and insights from research, this enhances their professionalism and the quality of their lessons”, the council writes.