Parliament wants Dekker to work out an alternative to arithmetic test
State Secretary Sander Dekker of Education must work out the alternative to the math test for teachers in consultation with the Dutch Association of Mathematics Teachers (NVvW). A majority of the House of Representatives wants this, as it turned out during the votes on the motions yesterday.
The motion to abolish the arithmetic test was rejected, as was the motion in which the arithmetic test at pre-university education is not part of the core subjects.
Math lessons
Wel wants the House that Dekker is going to develop the math teachers' idea. The NVvW proposed to integrate the math lessons into the math lessons, so that the students reach the correct math level at the end of primary school. After that, the arithmetic should be recorded for all other school subjects. The math teachers think this is a structural improvement that has less impact on the school organization than the math test. Dekker must inform the House of the progress before March 2017, according to the motion.
Promise
The NVvW wrote earlier this year in a letter that the State Secretary had promised during a meeting to investigate the alternative to the arithmetic test with a working group. And that the arithmetic test could be abolished as soon as that alternative was available. In a letter to the House on December 6 said the State Secretary that he had made no promises at all. 'Contrary to what the NVvW states, there was no question of giving up an assignment to work out an alternative scenario for the arithmetic test,' Dekker writes. "I have just indicated that I want to continue on the set course for the time being." Now the House is still calling to work with the alternative.
Since students have to take the math test from 2013-2014, there has been a lot to do about it. The assignments are said to be too narrative, many students would not make it yet, which means that the standard is relaxed. And only in vwo does the test actually count towards the diploma. At havo and mbo it would be different too many students fail.
