MBO teacher suspended after critical book about educational innovation
MBO teacher Paula van Manen has been suspended because of a critical book about the introduction of a new educational concept at her school, a department of Roc Nijmegen. The suspension has generated many indignant reactions on Twitter. The D66 faction in the House of Representatives has registered oral questions.
Image: Cover cutout, publisher Scriptum
In the book "When are we going to have lessons again?", which has been in stores since October, Van Manen describes from the inside out the struggle in her own pedagogical training when, after the summer of 2017, classroom lessons have to make way for a form of personalized education.
The name of the institution kept Van Manen out of the book. She used fictitious names for colleagues. According to The Gelderlander, which released the news of the suspension on Friday, some employees are recognized and addressed on the book. The newspaper quotes a response that the school management posted on the intranet: 'We pointed out to the teacher that the way in which criticism has been expressed is not acceptable. We naturally welcome the freedom of expression and critical, substantive feedback, but the teacher has violated a number of rules. '
Van Manen, who has been suspended since the beginning of December, does not want to respond. Neither does her employer: a spokesperson for Roc Nijmegen lets in de Volkskrant know not to want to respond to individual employees. The suspension has sparked outrage on Twitter. Van Manen also received a lot of support on the De Gelderlander site.
Custom Made
Her book outlines "the remarkable practice of personalized education," as the subtitle reads. Under the guise of 'flexible learning' and 'more tailor-made', some four hundred MBO students are given a great deal of freedom in the way in which and the pace at which they achieve their learning objectives. Teachers have to guide them as 'learning coaches', but run into all kinds of practical and pedagogical problems. Van Manen points out how some of the students, especially at level 3, find it difficult to get to grips with the educational concept and fall behind. The book - a personal story full of wonderful anecdotes - covers the preparatory year and the two years after introduction.
Van Manen observes how some of the students, especially at level 3, find it difficult to cope with the educational concept and fall behind
“What you see is that criticism is often not accepted by management. It quickly becomes an unequal battle ”, reacts director Gerjan de Waard of Scriptum, publisher of the book. Van Manen insisted that no names should be mentioned in the book. “Paula has said from the start: I make everyone unrecognizable. Should the book have been published under a pseudonym? That goes very far. ”
Innovative power
According to the school management's intranet message, the publication has created 'fear'. 'This form of openness ensures that colleagues feel their integrity and privacy are affected. Fear arises, the last thing we need if we want to have an open dialogue. In this way the book frustrates the innovative strength of ROC Nijmegen. '
“That word alone: innovative strength, it's best to write that it gives me a weak pee,” responds publisher De Waard. “It's not about electric cars, it's about education, it's about children. Come on, what kind of world do you live in if you put that in your statement? ”
It's not about electric cars, it's about education, it's about children
Van Manen took into account in advance that not everyone would thank her for the book, she said in a last December interview with the Education magazine. 'I've factored that in. This interest transcends the interest of one school. It is a socially relevant topic. I hope that other schools can learn from my experiences and benefit from them. And what is a great motivation for me personally: I hope to improve the situation for students.'
