History teacher attracts millions of euros to education
A plan for quality improvement in primary and secondary education, largely set up by teachers, will receive 332 million euros from the National Growth Fund. One of the initiators, history teacher Jasper Rijpma, explains what Development Force should do. “Teaching is still more or less a solitary profession, and that has to change.”
Image: Angeliek de Jonge
The National Growth Fund was created by the Rutte IV cabinet and will spend a total of 2021 billion euros between 2025 and 20. Projects awarded funding must contribute to the 'sustainable earning capacity of the Netherlands'. More than 6 billion euros was available for the second round and 35 of the 28 applications were approved. The Developing Power project will receive 332 million euros from the fund. Schools will also contribute 161 million euros themselves.
In this message Find out more about the Growth Fund money allocated to projects in higher education.
Jasper Rijpma is one of the driving forces behind the Development Power proposal. He worked out the plan together with teacher Michèl de Vries, the Leraren Ontwikkelingfonds (LOF), NRO, Education lab, Groeikracht, OCW, CAOP and the Leerkracht foundation.
Someone called you the 300 million dollar man. Is that a fair qualification?
“I feel a little embarrassed about that. It is a lot of money and I am not the only initiator. So no, that's too many credits for me."
What is Development Power?
“It is an initiative from researchers, teachers and school leaders to take charge of education quality themselves. That is urgent, also in view of the State of Education, the annual inspection report. The idea is that everything starts from a question from the team, from the teachers and school leader.”
How do you mean?
“At my own school, for example, we wanted a softer landing for first graders. Traditionally, they quickly know a payment moment: during the first tests. We preferred to work completely without grades in the first school year. But that's a bad idea, unless you have another system for monitoring progress that provides guidance to all subject teachers. A huge job. And my school is not the only one facing that challenge.”
Roughly eighty percent of the money goes to free scheduling of teachers
Are the euros from the Growth Fund then going to set up such a system?
“No, roughly eighty percent of the money goes to the free scheduling of teachers so that they can unlock the development potential at their school. Our point: there are often answers from educational science. Developing power must above all connect knowledge and skills with the questions of the teams, and give teachers a guiding role.”
That still sounds pretty vague. Can you make it more concrete?
“Development power has four components. The first is to develop a knowledge culture in schools. NRO has recently a guideline published about the conditions that must be present at school if you want to realize such a culture.
The second pillar is NRO's guidelines on what works. Preferably like this hands on possible. Inspired by the guidance reports from England. The third part is Inge de Wolf's field of activity: Education lab† There, researchers work with teachers and school leaders in search of new answers to educational questions.
Finally, number four is forming a number of training and development schools. Again inspired by - I do want to emphasize: not a copy of - the English one research schools† These are schools where that culture of improvement has already been realized, where teachers work in teams on educational dilemmas. This way you can create an oil slick: teachers who notice that it is fun to work in this way and who want to tell other schools about it. We know from abroad that this enthusiasm is contagious.”
You cannot impose a culture of improvement top down
Are there not already enough initiatives to bring educational research closer to practice? Think of Walkthroughs or lectorates that link schools to research.
“In part, we are building on structures that already exist, which we know work. And in part we do something new. Teaching is still more or less a solitary profession that needs to change. And eventually a kind of kit has to be created with tools that teams can choose from. It makes no difference whether they go for the way the Leerkracht Foundation approaches it with their development question, or whether they use Walkthroughs of Education lab† It is very consciously none one size fits all plan.
We haven't even started yet. Brilliant ideas are still welcome. Our call remains: participate and think along. You cannot impose an improvement culture top down. We are really aiming for teachers to take ownership of this story.”
Is that practically possible, at the same time as a teacher shortage?
“That's what Jeroen Dijsselbloem (chairman of the committee that assesses applications for the National Growth Fund, ed.) also asked: how do these plans relate to the teacher shortage? What I also told him: of course Development Power will not solve the teacher shortage. It's not designed for that either. But the teacher shortage should also not ensure that quality is no longer being worked on. And I do think that it is really more fun to teach when you do it together. In this way you will hopefully be able to attract and retain more people for the profession.”
What has Developing Power changed in ten years' time?
“I would love it if we could at least slow down the downward trend of declining student achievement. The aim is of course to reverse the trend, but the problem is complicated and is also related to the teacher shortage.”
The annual ResearchEd meeting in NYC. Jasper Rijpma and Inge de Wolf will then tell you more about Development Power.
