'Education quality has fallen sharply in corona time'
Teachers fail to deliver their usual quality of education due to corona. One of the consequences of this is that students are often not well prepared for the final exam. This is evident from one AObsurvey completed by nearly eight thousand members.
Picture: Type tank
Can teachers provide the same quality of education as before the corona outbreak? That was the central question in the AObsurvey, which was completed by nearly eight thousand members in primary, secondary and special education.
De results of the survey paints a not unexpected, but still disconcerting picture. Half of all teachers in all sectors think that the quality of education is now worse than for corona. Secondary education appears to have been hit hardest: according to three quarters of the teachers the quality of education is worse there. Some 45 percent of teachers even indicate that it is currently not possible to prepare students properly for the final exam.
This survey shows what we were already afraid of
“This survey shows what we were already afraid of,” says Henrik de Moel of the daily director AOb. “The arrival of covid-19 has put education under even more pressure. Initially, the schools were closed completely, but lessons are still canceled because children or colleagues have to stay at home due to infections or quarantine. With high levels of infections, entire classes will go home or close schools. This takes revenge in the quality of education. Education simply needs more people and resources to keep up. ”
Pupils score worse across the entire range of education than in previous years, according to the respondents. In primary education about 40 percent of the pupils score worse than in previous years, in secondary education as much as 65 percent. In (secondary) special education and practical education this is about 30 percent. Furthermore, the level of first-year students is estimated to be lower by half of the teachers, both in secondary education and in VSO.
Attention
Corona has major consequences for the daily affairs of the classroom - which are undoubtedly due to the decline in the quality of education. One third of primary school teachers and three quarters of secondary school teachers indicate that they are less able to pay individual attention to pupils. Across all sectors, 30 to 40 percent of teachers see that students have fallen behind.
The workload for teachers has also increased enormously. More than 90 percent of teachers in secondary education indicate that the work pressure is higher than normal, in primary, (secondary) special and practical education three quarters of the teachers experience a higher work pressure.
School management
In secondary (special) education, the school management is more involved in the grading of students, say 20 percent of the teachers. Furthermore, many teachers experience pressure from school management to come and work at school - even if they fall into a risk group or have a partner who falls into a risk group. “I am shocked by the fact that many colleagues are nevertheless put under pressure to come to school, while they themselves or their partner fall under the risk group,” says De Moel. "That really shouldn't happen."
AOb: 'Educational staff really need to be better protected'
De AOb writes in one letter to the House of Representatives that education staff must be better protected. 'People in education who fall into a risk group are extra vulnerable. The AOb believes that this group should be better protected and cannot be put under pressure by the employer to come and teach at school. The AOb believes that it should be investigated whether the Education Inspectorate can play a role in compliance with and enforcement of the guidelines. '
Exam candidates
Furthermore, the AOb the cabinet to pay extra attention to this school year's exam candidates. 'The quality of education is under pressure across the board, but for exam students this can determine the rest of their school career.' Help this group of students by 'expanding the formation, extra tutoring (preferably at school), extra support in the classroom and preventing drop-outs as much as possible.'
De AOb also calls to keep registering class cancellations. And the Education Inspectorate should not stop assessing the quality of education in these times. 'Especially in these times it is important to know what is happening in schools.' The inspectorate should refrain from making a harsh judgment.
See also: 'Secondary education students get stuck'
