Faroese language teachers lack qualifications

Teachers providing Faroese as a second language instruction have not completed a single degree, and it is taking time to establish the necessary framework, according to Maria Chun Nielsdóttir, chair of the Midnám teachers’ union, as reported by Faroese broadcaster KVF.

Faroese as a second language is not a standard upper secondary subject, and thus is not structured in the same way, which has created dissatisfaction, Nielsdóttir said.

A recent news segment revealed that these teachers operate under the same agreement as primary and lower secondary school teachers. However, the Midnám union does not consider them qualified to the same standard as primary and lower secondary teachers.

A new solution must be found to define how the work should be structured on paper, including how much preparation time should count and how salaries should be set, Nielsdóttir said.

“It was dumped on us without us being heard or asked about anything at all,” she said.

For two years, the union has met with the Education Board and the Ministry of Finance to discuss how this work can be structured in the agreement, but no solution has yet been found.

As more and more newcomers arrive in the country and need Faroese as a second language instruction, teachers are quitting due to the current arrangement.