Faroese language teachers quit over contract dispute

Teachers of Faroese as a second language are leaving their jobs after being placed under a contract they say does not reflect their work, Kringvarp Føroya reports.

Petra Olsen, who has taught Faroese as a second language (FSA) for six years, ended her last day at Glasir school this week. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Faroese and completed FSA training two years ago, but says she can no longer reconcile her role with the terms of the new contract, which was designed for lower secondary school teachers.

“The main reason is that I simply cannot see my work and my duties reflected in this contract,” Olsen said.

Last year, FSA teachers were moved from evening school to Glasir under the new agreement, a change Olsen initially supported. But the contract, shared with lower secondary teachers, fails to account for differences in structure, schedules, and responsibilities. She acknowledges the teachers’ union, Yrkisfelag Miðnámi, has limited time to adapt the terms but notes the union itself previously recognised in an annual report that FSA did not belong in the lower secondary framework.

After exhausting all options—contacting the union, education authorities, school leadership, and politicians—Olsen sees resignation as her only choice. She will miss her students and teaching but says the conditions left her no alternative. If a solution is found, she would return.