Teachers’ qualifications are too disparate to guarantee all requirements for the job have been fulfilled, education advisory body Onderwijsraad has said.

Some 60,000 people in the Netherlands are training to be teachers but with 384 training routes leading into the profession, the Onderwijsraad said uniformity is lacking and it is unclear if all educational bases have been covered.

The body recommends prospective teachers sit a national exam, testing a set of requirements determined by the education ministry.

“It should be a given that new teachers are up to the job,” chairwoman Louise Elffers said. “Doubts about the knowledge and skills of teachers cause insecurity and different expectations.”

A national test would clarify things for schools and teachers alike while the different training programmes could continue to put their own stamp on the process, the Onderwijsraad said.

Education minister Eppo Bruins said in a reaction he agreed with the recommendation. “Good education starts with well-trained teachers. We must ensure that teachers graduating from many trainings have the necessary skills,” he said.

Bruins said he would discuss the recommendations with experts in the field.

The Netherlands is struggling with a lack of teachers, with 7,700 vacancies for full-time jobs in primary education, 3,800 in secondary education, and between 900 and 1,400 at trade schools.

A tight labour market offering more alternative job opportunities and a lack of enthusiasm for the profession combined with many teachers reaching retirement age is exacerbating the shortage.