Teaching unions and employers have reached a pay deal for secondary school teachers, giving them a 1.8% rise, from October. In addition, all full time school staff will get a one-off bonus of €800 at the end of the year with a proportional payout for part timers.

Despite the agreement, the biggest teaching union AOb says more still needs to be done to reduce the pressure on teachers, and that means the government will have to come up with more money.

Both the AOb and CNV affiliated Onderwijs union say they will  lobby the government for more money for education in the coming months. The extra money should be invested in reducing the pressure of work, which in turn will boost standards, the unions say.

Earlier this week, the unions agreed a 2.25% pay rise for primary school staff.