AOb cracks plan school administrators for study start without a diploma
Pupils who have not yet passed all subjects in secondary school should be given the opportunity to start further education. The VO Council advocates this, but the AOb disagrees.
Picture: Nanne Meulendijks
“There is rightly leniency for the final exam candidates this year because of corona”, says AObdirector Jelmer Evers. “These plans are hugely demotivating a month before the final exam for teachers who are working their hardest to prepare for the exams.”
In the Algemeen Dagblad calls on Henk Hagoort, the new chairman of the secondary education council, to deal 'flexibly' with students who do not pass all subjects in their final exams. They would have to start their further education without a diploma and then pass the subjects later. Hagoort wants to discuss this with ROCs, colleges and universities. On his own website, the chairman speaks of 'creative and unconventional solutions'. "We should not put any student on a failed school career because of corona, because they can no longer find their way."
In addition to a smooth transition to further education, the Secondary Education Council advocates a bonus year that should prevent retention. Pupils who have trouble picking up the thread are placed in one class where they are given more time. They pick up where they left off in the previous school year. 'Some of those students will make up for the delay during the year and complete the training according to plan. Another part gets a bonus year to complete everything', said Hagoort.
Bad plans
AObdriver Evers thinks it's "bad plans". According to him, the final exams are the conclusion of secondary education. “It is an independent test with which we test whether students have acquired sufficient knowledge and which is the entrance to further education. You avoid arbitrariness. We call this the civil effect of a diploma. If this disappears, inequality will increase enormously.”
A diploma prevents arbitrariness. We call this the civil effect of a diploma. If this disappears, inequality will increase enormously.
Recently was already known That the new class of final exam candidates can again cross out a course on their final list, there will also be an extra resit and a third period due to the corona pandemic and the consequences it had on the lessons.
“Of course, I also think that these students have gone to school in a terrible situation over the past two years,” says Evers. “We rightly accommodate students. Last year, these measures resulted in the highest success rates. I find it strange that the school administrators are already questioning these measures and want to go one step further. It is irresponsible and demotivating for teachers who work very hard to prepare for the final exams."
It is strange that school administrators are already questioning the final exam measures and want to go one step further
Schools already have the authority to approach the transition to the next class differently. “This is the only thing that should always be done in consultation with the teachers. It requires customization and therefore also time for teachers who are facilitated for this. The work pressure is already very high and because of corona it has only increased. Until now, the same employers have not wanted to make agreements to combat this work pressure.”
Basic
Evers believes that the best thing for the students is that the basics are in order. Every student must have a good teacher and be in a small, well-organized class. “That would really help to clear the backlog. Let the employers deal with that.”
Minister Dennis Wiersma said in the AD although he will not take any additional measures in response to this plan. "They could also cause extra stress among young people," the minister said in the newspaper.
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