Faroese language teachers for immigrants at risk

Unresolved pay disputes for teachers training in Faroese as a second language could have serious consequences for the sector, warns Elisabeth Holm, a researcher in Faroese as a second language, in an interview with Faroese Broadcasting Corporation (KVF).

An increasing number of immigrants are arriving in the Faroe Islands, raising demand for qualified teachers to instruct them in the language. However, unresolved working conditions have led some teachers in the field to leave their positions, Holm states.

“This is a difficult situation,” she says. “We’re dealing with a new field and research area, and if we’re to do it properly, we must take care of these teachers who have taken on this training.”

For the past two years, teachers in the program have been working under an agreement intended for primary and lower secondary school teachers. This agreement, however, is not aligned with the working conditions of FSA teachers—those who teach Faroese as a second language to adult immigrants rather than schoolchildren.

No solution has been found despite efforts by the teachers’ union Miðnám, the Education Department, and the Ministry of Finance over the past two years.

Holm explains the core issue: “You can’t force this FSA structure into a framework designed for primary education. Mixing the two just creates more confusion.”

One key problem is the difficulty in scheduling preparation time and salary adjustments for FSA teachers, as their training does not qualify as a full master’s degree. When the program was first announced, it was labeled a diploma-level qualification at the master’s level, but it lacks the same number of ECTS credits as a full master’s degree.

Holm argues that FSA teachers should be treated as equivalent to those with master’s degrees, even if they do not hold one. “It’s possible to distinguish between salary levels if these teachers don’t have a full master’s. This is already done in academic agreements,” she says.

The loss of teachers could have long-term consequences, as the need for Faroese language instruction for immigrants—both children and adults—has never been greater, Holm notes.