Professional standards for pedagogical staff and experts

A new Act on Pedagogical and Professional Staff (138/2019) has abolished the credit system; instead of credits, payment bonuses were introduced for specific cases of in-service training. In 2019, a series of seminars for pedagogues was organised by the Methodological-Pedagogical Centre nationwide to inform about making use of professional standards in the context of continuing professional development as stipulated by the new Act. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic beginning March 2020, these seminars have taken the form of online webinars.

The national ESF project Professional development of teachers (TEACHERS) was launched in November 2020. The Methodological-Pedagogical Centre runs this project in cooperation with the National Institute for Education. The main aim is to revise professional standards and develop standards for the newly introduced position of career counsellors (Act 138/2019). The project also promotes the transfer of innovations and best practice examples through networking, and responds to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic via maintaining an online platform offering one-stop-shop services to schools, pedagogues and civic society actors. The budget is approximately EUR 7 million.

A group of experts from the Methodological-Pedagogical Centre with external experts continued the revision of the professional standards supported by working groups of practitioners. Revision should be completed by the end of 2022. Two amendments to the Act on pedagogical staff and professional staff (138/2019), adopted in October 2021, affect pedagogical standards and qualifications. VET trainer competences must be expanded to cover additional components of VET curricula, such as practical classes earlier taught exclusively by teachers. The newly introduced school digital coordinators should offer training and counselling on the use of IT, digital methodologies and digital educational content. They should also support the administration of national online examinations.

In October and November 2022, updated professional standards for pedagogical staff and experts were discussed with stakeholders (the education ministry, State School Inspectorate, subsidiaries of the education ministry, and trade unions). During the final conference of the national ESF project, Professional development of teachers (TEACHERS), held on 29-30 November 2022, 29 innovative professional standards were presented and discussed with practitioners.

Some standards refer specifically to VET, such as 'trainer', some are related to VET, such as 'career counsellor', and some are related to both general and VET streams. Standards that apply to specialists who support inclusive education such as school special pedagogues, or pedagogical assistants are important for the fulfilment of the National recovery and resilience plan (RRP).

Professional standards created by the National Institute of Education and Youth (NIVAM) were used to assess progress in professional development, from beginner to independent teacher stages and then to teacher attestation at the first and second levels. These standards also supported accreditation processes for institutions involved in the continuing professional development of teachers and other staff.

In January 2023, NIVAM published revised standards featuring a reduced number of standards (positions) from originally 45 to 29. The simplified structure and revised indicators make the assessment of the fulfilment of standards easier and more unambiguous.

Increasing concerns from VET schools regarding the ageing of staff and the insufficient supply of teachers of vocational subjects and trainers in schools have led to questioning the effectiveness of professional standards. Critics argue that these standards may create barriers to career advancement rather than fostering professional development or lowering initial qualification standards. A new Act on adult education (292/2024) created the possibility of acquiring the so-called professional qualification 'Master' based on the assessment of fulfilment of learning outcomes. This so-called 'professional qualification' is expected to facilitate access to the role of in-company trainer (instructor of dual VET). It may also represent the first step toward bypassing current formal qualification requirements and career advancement requirements for trainers in VET schools.