Among others, the PO-Raad came in for a great deal of criticism on Twitter. Anita de Wilde, posting under @dewildejuf, wrote: “Inappropriate and unwanted. We are simply doing our jobs, and parents are simply doing their best. The flag really does not need to be flown for that. There is nothing to celebrate.” She received support from Debbie Dussel, who went a step further: “No need for it, no reason for it, and inappropriate towards healthcare.” In a humorous response, Leonie Sta showed that the initiators do not really understand the education sector: “It was meant to be so kind, but it is simply not necessary/wanted. A bit like helping an old lady cross the street when she did not need to go there at all...”
Jeroen Goes, chairman of the Executive Board of Stichting Fluvium Openbaar Onderwijs in Geldermalsen and Neerijnen, also considered the campaign ‘inappropriate’ in a blog on his LinkedIn and therefore called on people not to take part: “Dear people in education, let us work with passion, let us be happy with the appreciation, but hang out the flag? Let us simply not do that for now.”
On Tuesday morning, Jan van de Ven of the professional association Lerarencollectief put the campaign into perspective in an article in AD: “Teachers do not think this is the time to fly the flag. Some teachers said that there are villages in Brabant where everyone knows someone who has died or is seriously ill due to coronavirus. Moreover, teachers are not fighting for people’s lives in a hospital day and night.”
One person suggested that it was all based on a misunderstanding. Bertus Meijer, posting under @backinflow on Twitter, wrote: “You have misspelled vlogging. That’s a shame and a little late.
We have actually been vlogging for weeks. I immediately adjusted the hashtag as well: #ikvlogvoorhetonderwijs.”
Is it right that the campaign will not go ahead this coming Thursday? Of course, Glos Educatief is curious about your opinion. Let us know via our social media: