“Holder, but not until retirement.” As Daniel David wants to reform the employment of teachers

The Minister of Education, Daniel David, proposes a large reform of the title system: the teachers would enter the system through a national “licensing” exam, to be employed first for a fixed period, and the degree will come only after several years and positive evaluations. Even the titles will be evaluated periodically and can lose the job if they no longer reach the quality standards.

The new vision is detailed in the QX report, the analysis document and proposals for reforming education and research, presented by Minister Daniel David on Monday. According to this report, the process of entry into the teaching career would start with a national licensing exam, organized by the Ministry of Education. Teachers who obtain at least note 7 become licensed in the system and can participate in competitions for positions – either directly organized by schools, or through regional centers, according to the model of medicine residency.

“All the candidates who obtain at least the note 7 become licensed in the teaching career, registering in the national register of teachers and automatically having the right to occupy a determined position in the system, depending on the performance obtained in the exam and within the available places,” the QX report shows.

CONTRACTS FOR CONTACTED DUE, with annual evaluations

After obtaining the licensing, the teachers will not receive directly posts for an indefinite period. They will be employed first on contracts for a fixed period, with the possibility of annual renewal according to performance. The evaluation will not be a formal one, but a detailed one, made by the school based on a uniform methodology.

“We will create a framework methodology by which the evaluation is not done only by the director or teacher, but to be a complex one: with feedback from parents, colleagues, even students,” said Minister Daniel David, in the press conference on May 19.

This stage is essential in the new model, because it allows the professional validation of the teachers before they are given stability in the system, the report shows.

Possible title after 4-5 years, not automatically

A fixed -term teacher could become a holder after four or five years, if the position is viable and the assessments are positive. The transformation of the contract into an indefinite one would be clearly conditioned by the quality of the activity carried out.

The “transformation from” determined “into” indefinite “is made on the basis of a quality assessment, made by the school in which the teacher works”, shows in the QX report.

David also emphasized in the conference that this transition will not be automatic and will not guarantee a place in the system until retired. “And when you reach the age set for an indefinite position – for example, after 4 years -, you can go on an indefinite. But not automatically” until retirement “, but with periodic evaluations every five years.”

Mandatory evaluations for all title teachers

To ensure the quality in the system, periodic assessments will become mandatory for all teachers, including for the already holders. The assessments will be done every 5 years and will be reported to national standards.

“Those employed for an indefinite period (holders) are evaluated on the basis of minimum standards every 5 years. If this evaluation is not passed for two years, the contract will no longer be for an indefinite period,” the QX report stipulates.

Supplemers only if there remain free places

For candidates who fail to obtain grade 7 at the licensing exam, but they have between 5 and 6.99, the option remains, if the positions were not occupied by licensed teachers. “The positions not covered by the licensed can be occupied by substitutes by those who at the licensing exam have taken between 5 and 6.99 in the last 3 years”, the report states.

Reform object: balance between protection and performance

The minister says that the current system also has good parts – such as the stability offered to the holders – but also serious limits. The new proposal is trying to keep the advantages and eliminate the bureaucratic blockages: “Once you have become a holder in the system, you are more protected, it is easier to circulate in the system. But it also has many disadvantages. The bureaucracy, the fact that good people are able to take the exam several times to obtain an adequate position.