Teacher portfolio

Policy development
Practical measure/Initiative
Netherlands
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Timeline
  • 2019Implementation
  • 2020Implementation
  • 2021Discontinued
ID number
36784

Description

What/How/Who/For whom/When of the policy development in detail, explaining its activities and annual progress, main actors and target groups.

The teacher portfolio is an online tool developed for teachers to give substance to their professional development. The portfolio enables teachers to keep track of their professional development and competences and record both formal and informal learning. It also features a catalogue functionality with courses, training and other education opportunities. Teachers can build their own portfolio and use the tool as a network to establish contact with other teachers. The portfolio is a continuation of the teacher register, which was discontinued.

2019
Implementation

In 2019, and finally in February 2020, the technical functionalities of the portfolio were improved.

2020
Implementation

The portfolio is fully functional and runs as a regular practice.

2021
Discontinued

On 16 November 2021, the senate approved a legislation proposal from the parliament to scrap the teacher portfolio from the relevant education laws. The legislation will be in order from 1 August 2022. This means that the teacher portfolio will be discontinued at the same date. In a letter to parliament, the minister for primary and secondary education states that, after the proposed teacher register system had already been discontinued earlier, the decision was made to also discontinue the voluntary teacher portfolio tool: this is because of the very high costs and the low usage rate among teachers, which cannot justify these costs. Further, the support base from education practice is slim. Even transferring the system to a commercial party is deemed as a long and costly process which is not worthwhile.

Bodies responsible

This section lists main bodies that are responsible for the implementation of the policy development or for its specific parts or activities, as indicated in the regulatory acts. The responsibilities are usually explained in its description.
  • Ministry of Education, Culture and Science

Target groups

Those who are positively and directly affected by the measures of the policy development; those on the list are specifically defined in the EU VET policy documents. A policy development can be addressed to one or several target groups.

Education professionals

  • Teachers

Thematic categories

Thematic categories capture main aspects of the decision-making and operation of national VET and LLL systems. These broad areas represent key elements that all VET and LLL systems have to different extents and in different combinations, and which come into focus depending on the EU and national priorities. Thematic categories are further divided into thematic sub-categories. Based on their description, policy developments can be assigned to one or several thematic categories.

Teachers, trainers and school leaders competences

Competent and motivated VET teachers in schools and trainers in companies are crucial to VET becoming innovative and relevant, agile, resilient, flexible, inclusive and lifelong.

This thematic category comprises policies and practices of initial training and continuing professional development approaches in a systemic and systematic manner. It also looks at measures aiming to update (entry) requirements and make teaching and training careers attractive and bring more young and talented individuals and business professionals into teaching and training. Supporting VET educators by equipping them with adequate competences, skills and tools for the green transition and digital teaching and learning are addressed in separate thematic sub-categories.

The measures in this category target teachers and school leaders, company trainers and mentors, adult educators and guidance practitioners.

Systematic approaches to and opportunities for initial and continuous professional development of school leaders, teachers and trainers

This thematic sub-category refers to all kinds of initial and continuing professional development (CPD) for VET educators who work in vocational schools and in companies providing VET. VET educators include teachers and school leaders, trainers and company managers involved in VET, as well as adult educators and guidance practitioners – those who work in school- and work-based settings. The thematic sub-category includes national strategies, training programmes or individual courses to address the learning needs of VET educators and to develop their vocational (technical) skills, and pedagogical (teaching) skills and competences. Such programmes concern state-of-the-art vocational pedagogy, innovative teaching methods, and competences needed to address evolving teaching environments, e.g. teaching in multicultural settings, working with learners at risk of early leaving, etc.

Subsystem

Part of the vocational education and training and lifelong learning systems the policy development applies to.
IVET

Further reading

Sources for further reading where readers can find more information on policy developments: links to official documents, dedicated websites, project pages. Some sources may only be available in national languages.
Teacher portfolio
Policy letter of 17 February 2022 on discontinuation of teacher portfolio

Country

Netherlands

Type of development

Policy developments are divided into three types: strategy/action plan; regulation/legislation; and practical measure/initiative.
Practical measure/Initiative
Cite as

Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Teacher portfolio: Netherlands. In Cedefop, & ReferNet. (2025). Timeline of VET policies in Europe (2024 update) [Online tool].

https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/fi/tools/timeline-vet-policies-europe/search/36784