Student assesses secondary school teacher
Most secondary schools allow students to rate their teachers. A year after the amendment of the law requiring students to be involved in the evaluation of their teachers, this is happening at 84 percent of secondary schools. At more than a quarter of the schools, students are allowed to vote in applications.
That appears from a report of DUO Educational research among 251 school directors in secondary education. They completed an online questionnaire. House of Representatives voted in June 2015 with the idea of the student organization Laks to give students the opportunity to assess their teacher.
More than half of the directors, 55 percent, indicate that teachers see evaluation as an opportunity to work on their competences and that only a small group see it as a threat. 76 percent of the respondents is frankly positive about the evaluation of teachers.
They feel that students feel involved and taken seriously and they are the most important target group in the school.
Applications
Secondary schools involve their students much less often in applications from teachers, team leaders or board members. At 27 percent of the schools, students are allowed to participate in discussions about -some- applications from teachers. Most schools do not allow students to participate in any job application.
At the College Zuid of director Hans Weustenraad, one of the locations of the Stedelijk Lyceum Zuid in Enschede, students are allowed to sit in job interviews and evaluate teachers. “I like that very much,” says Weustenraad. He himself experienced three applications from team leaders, attended by the chairman of the student council. “The students are members of the appointment advisory committee and have a full vote.”
Other glasses
The experience has been great so far. “The documents were well read and as a director I ask different things than a student who wears different glasses.” The school also has an annual satisfaction survey and students conduct their own research, which is also discussed in the participation council. Weustenraad: “Sometimes I notice that teachers have to get used to it, because in the education world they are not used to being interfered with in their lessons. But you just have to do it, especially in the current era of transparency that shouldn't be a problem."
The VO-raad, the representative of secondary school boards, finds It is a good development that students are more involved. 'Experience shows that students take this extremely seriously and that it contributes to raising the quality of teachers', says Paul Rosenmöller, chairman of the council.
De AOb finds It is useful for students to assess their teacher, but teachers must be in control themselves. It should be part of the teacher's professional job.
