Carpenters to become teachers

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- The Association of Danish Municipalities on Tuesday called for urgent measures to combat an acute shortage of qualified teachers.

The association said carpenters, pharmacists, secretaries and other skilled professionals should be given further training so that they qualify for Danish classrooms.

The association said it would present its detailed proposals to Education Secretary Margrethe Vestager and the Danish Teachers Association next week.

Experts estimate that there will be a shortfall of 1,500 teaching staff next year. That number is forecast to reach 2,500 in four years' time.

"We need to address this acute shortage as soon as possible. Fully trained teachers should still take the lead in schools but other professionals who have undergone further training could play an important support role for regular staff," association president and Odense mayor Anker Boye told the daily Berlingske Tidende.

Boye's Social Democratic Party colleagues and the conservatives in parliament have welcomed the proposal.

"If we do nothing, then there is a risk that we will eventually have to use people without any teaching skills whatsoever," Social Democrat Hans Peter Baadsgaard told Berlingske.

"At this point, I consider it appropriate to provide some professionals with the relevant teaching skills," he added.

Conservative education spokesman Brian Mikkelsen said that other professionals could play a complimentary role at schools but that supplementary staff should never take the place of regular teachers.

Professional teachers maintain it is important for Danish students to be taught by fully qualified staff.

"It is simply not good enough to be qualified in a few subjects because as a teacher you also need didactic and pedagogical skills," said Stig Andersen, vice president of the Teacher's Association.

Danish Ministry of Education

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