Give teachers a leading role in curriculum development
Teachers must have an absolute leading role in the development of a curriculum in primary and secondary education. They must be given time to talk about educational content in teams, for example.
The Education Cooperative writes this today in an advisory report to State Secretary Sander Dekker of Education. In the report, the cooperative, in which the AOb cooperates with other teacher organizations, four recommendations to the Ministry of Education. "This is the advice of the profession, now it is up to the State Secretary to make a decision about the follow-up process," says AObchairman Liesbeth Verheggen.
Dialogue
After the House of Representatives was very critical of Dekker in March for not involving teachers enough in the development of the curriculum, the Education Cooperative the time to organize a dialogue among teachers about the advisory report Education2032 of early this year. In this report, a committee chaired by Paul Schnabel argues for a single curriculum for primary and secondary education, more attention for digital and cross-curricular skills, compulsory education in citizenship and English in primary school.
The advisory report of the Education Cooperative shows that teachers think very differently about educational content and that it is difficult to say whether the Schnabel Committee's mindset is the right one.
Teachers do not reject the advice, but wonder, for example, what this will look like in practice in the classroom
Verheggen: “This also has to do with the diverse professional group. It is difficult to form a consensus about which innovations should be implemented. A dialogue is therefore very important.” Moreover, what students have to learn is not only reserved for teachers. The government ultimately makes decisions about the core objectives and final qualifications after a social debate in which teachers, parents, school boards and social organizations participate. Teachers are explicit about the how-question.
Succes
The Education Cooperative strongly advises Dekker not to continue on this path. The advice of the Schnabel Committee is experienced by the profession as something imposed from above. “A major role for teachers in the development of a curriculum is an absolute condition for success,” says Verheggen. “Schnabel's approach, in which the ministry gives instructions to a committee, is not the right one, according to the Education Cooperative. It has to come from the bottom up and go step by step.” The government must arrange for structural money and time to be made available so that teachers can think about this.
Teachers see no role for school boards, other than a facilitator.
The cooperative writes in the advice that teachers will be more involved if they can make proposals for a new curriculum and discuss it. That conversation starts in schools, but can later transcend school and eventually nationwide. 'For example, there is a continuous process of coordination,' says the cooperative in one of the recommendations.
