Jan-Willem(48)

For twenty years I stood in front of a class at a primary school in Den Bosch. I loved teaching, but no longer the system: standardized tests, inspection frameworks, registration requirements, and ever more administration. When my wife and I divorced and the children had left home, nothing tied me to the Netherlands anymore. I was looking for something radically different.

The Basque Country attracted me for an unexpected reason: the education system. The ikastolak — Basque schools — have a pedagogical model that resembles what Dutch education once was: small-scale, creative, with lots of attention for outdoor education and the local environment. Through an international teachers' network I found a position as an English subject teacher at an international school in Bilbao.

The homologación of my teaching diploma took eleven months. During that time I learned Spanish (B2 required) and started with Basque — a language that resembles no other European language. My school paid the homologación costs of €200 and gave me a provisional contract based on my Dutch experience. The salary: €2,100 net per month for a full contract.

Bilbao is a surprising city. It's not the Spain of sun and beach — it rains here almost as often as in the Netherlands. But the city has the Guggenheim Museum, a fantastic culinary scene with pintxos (Basque tapas), and a compactness that reminds me of Den Bosch. My apartment in Casco Viejo — the old town — costs €750 per month.

Basque culture is unique in Spain. The Basque Country has its own tax system with lower rates than the rest of Spain. My effective IRPF rate is 2-3% lower than in Madrid or Barcelona. The region invests heavily in education and culture. My school has a materials budget that's twice as high as what I was used to in the Netherlands.

I've been in Bilbao for two years now and I'm a better teacher than ever. My students — a mix of Spanish, Basque and international children — are curious and motivated. We do project-based learning, go into nature weekly, and there's no standardized test in sight. My colleagues are passionate and engaged. It feels like education as it was meant to be.