More attention needed for school exams
It is urgent that secondary schools pay more attention to the school exams. Compared to the central exam, these exams are neglected. There are insufficient guarantees for the quality of the school exams.
Image: Front of the report on the school examination quality committee.
This is according to a recently published investigation report of the School Examination Quality Committee. In response to the drama at VMBO Maastricht, this committee, led by professor of Educational Sciences Geert ten Dam, looked at the quality of school exams.
Students in secondary education take school exams. The marks they get for these exams count for 50 percent towards their final exam mark for the subject. They obtain the other half of the mark on the central final exam.
Inadequate
Although the committee found no major problems with school exams, it could be done much better, according to the conclusion. The researchers write that there are insufficient guarantees to guarantee the quality of the school examinations. Suppose something does go wrong, then it is possible that it will not come to light or that it will not be corrected. "There are some structural vulnerabilities in the system," the report said.
The school exam is too much of an 'administrative process', according to the committee. Schools only pay attention to whether they send documents to the inspectorate on time and whether the differences between the scores for school exams and the central exam are not too great. According to the committee, the school exam is a neglected child. This is also because the government mainly focuses on the results of the central final exam.
There are some structural vulnerabilities in the system
Informal
Moreover, if something does go wrong with the school exams, school boards, directors and the inspectorate intervene too little and schools deal with the school exams too informally. For example, the exam secretary does not always have the right powers and the tasks of those involved in the school exam differ per school. Also, the right knowledge is not always available among teachers and exam secretaries. For example, according to the researchers, teachers see school exams as interim tests and forget their conclusive character. 'In some schools it looks like a collection of interim tests that must keep students on their toes', according to the committee.
In total, the committee has identified four points for improvement. For example, there must be examination boards and the duties of the members of the examination board must be laid down in law. Each subject section should have an exam expert and schools should conduct final year school exams so that it is a final assessment rather than a series of interim tests. Schools should also incorporate their own educational vision much more into the school exams.
Position
In a letter Education Minister Arie Slob informs the House of Representatives that he is examining with the education sector whether an examination board should become a permanent component. He also wants to strengthen the position of exam secretaries.
The VO Council wants schools to tackle vulnerabilities in school examinations. The council also asks for an adjustment to the rules, because the government is now focusing too much on the central exams. 'Together we will have to create the conditions to return the school exam to its original purpose', says Paul Rosenmöller, chairman of the VO council.
