Baptism no longer required for religion teachers in Flemish Catholic schools
Religion teachers in Flemish Catholic primary and secondary schools will no longer have to be baptised to teach the Roman Catholic religion, Mediahuis newspapers reported on Friday. Catholic Education Flanders, the largest education provider in the region, relaxed the rules to tackle a growing shortage of teachers.
Previously, teachers had to meet three conditions: they had to have completed relevant training, be baptised and agree to follow the curriculum. In urgent cases, only one condition remains: a willingness to follow the curriculum.
"This is far from ideal, but necessity knows no law," said Jürgen Mettepenningen, the moderator for Roman Catholic religion who oversees the content and organisation of the subject.
4,000 vacancies
The move highlights the severity of the teacher shortage in Flanders, particularly in the period between Christmas and the spring holidays. Nearly 4,000 temporary teaching vacancies are currently listed on the VDAB's job site, adding to the structural shortage in subjects such as religion.
This school year alone, Catholic secondary schools are facing a shortage of 1,264 hours of religious education, the equivalent of 60 full-time teachers. As a result, 632 classes are without a religion teacher.
The emergency measure, which is reviewed annually for each school, applies only to Catholic schools. In state and municipal schools, religion teachers still have to meet the original requirements, including baptism.
#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK
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