The House does not want a math test in secondary education
Coalition parties CDA and D66 see nothing in the plan of Education Minister Arie Slob (ChristenUnie) for a new arithmetic test in secondary education. MPs Michel Rog (CDA) and Paul van Meenen (D66) submitted two motions this week asking for the test to be abolished as soon as possible.
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A week earlier it appeared during a debate that the minister did not have enough support for his plan in secondary education. The CDA, D66, but also other parties such as the PvdA and GroenLinks see nothing in yet another new test.
Slob made in November announced in a letter to the House that the national arithmetic test will be abolished and that schools may take their own tests and decide for themselves at how many times they test. In Slob's plan, the test will continue to count towards the diploma as part of the school exams.
Integrate
During the debate on January 23, it turned out that Slob will probably not get a majority for his plan. Only his own party, the ChristenUnie and VVD, are in favour. The CDA and D66 do not support their coalition partner. They want the subject of arithmetic to be integrated into the subject of mathematics and other school subjects. In the lower years, pupils are trained in arithmetic, in the upper years they maintain their skills, as the parties also present in their motions. This is exactly what the Dutch Association of Mathematics Teachers (NVvW) proposes.
Hague plan
"The solution to good arithmetic is good arithmetic education," said D66 MP Paul van Meenen in the debate. 'There is a supported proposal for better math education from the math teachers themselves. D66 does not understand why the minister does not listen to the teacher and comes up with a new Hague plan. ' Rog also reacted negatively: 'The CDA wants to focus on education and not on a new test. We reject the school exam that the minister comes with. '
Slob stuck to his point of view and wants 'a visible figure for arithmetic'. Next week, the House will vote on the motions.
In senior secondary vocational education, the arithmetic test will remain and will be vocationally oriented. In this way, students see more clearly what they have to do with math for their education.
