Focus on improved working conditions for teachers in the new year

A working group has been established within the City of Hafnarfjörður with the task of developing proposals for improved working conditions for teachers in the city's primary schools, with the aim of ensuring that all posts are filled by qualified teachers, make the teaching profession more attractive and address teachers' concerns regarding increased workload. The working group was established following discussions between the mayor, the head of education, headteachers and teachers' representatives in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools.

The aim is to increase job satisfaction within primary schools.

The working group will operate in connection with the recently agreed collective agreement between primary school teachers and local authorities, but a protocol to the agreement states: „The 2014 collective agreement introduced changes to teachers“ working conditions and implemented job evaluation in primary schools. The parties to the agreement are in agreement that the implementation of the changes has not been as successful as it should have been in many primary schools and therefore each local authority will be asked to review the implementation together with teacher representatives in each school. The aim of this work is to improve implementation where necessary and to reach an agreement on the working environment. Focus will be placed on the internal workings of schools and the tasks that the primary school performs, ensuring that teaching and preparation are priorities in school activities and relieving the workload of teachers where appropriate."

The working group is composed of seven representatives of the primary school teachers' trustees in Hafnarfjörður (one from each primary school), three representatives of the headteachers, the primary school development officer, and the Director of Education and Leisure Services, who also leads the group.  The working group is expected to begin its work in early January 2017 and submit a final report with recommendations to the Education Committee of Hafnarfjörður by the end of the 2016-2017 school year. According to the terms of reference, the group is to put forward proposals to improve the working conditions of teachers in Hafnarfjörður's primary schools, with the aim of ensuring that all posts are filled by qualified teachers, make the teaching profession more attractive and address teachers' concerns regarding increased workload. It is expected that the working group's work will lead to increased job satisfaction in the primary schools.