Education Council: 'Differentiation in education has gone too far'
Young people from different backgrounds are quickly led in different directions in the current education system, and hardly ever meet each other afterwards. This is the conclusion of the Education Council, which proposes solutions.
Picture: Education council
The diversity in society is increasing, but there is social segmentation according to education, income and socio-cultural background. The Education Council writes this in its report Extended differentiation in the education system. 'There are fewer and fewer occasions where people from different social and cultural backgrounds come together.'
According to the council, the education system is failing to break through that segregation, and even maintains it. Among other things, by selecting pupils earlier and earlier according to educational streams from which they are difficult to get out later.
Dissenting opinions
That segregation is a bad thing, the council thinks. 'If young people with different backgrounds no longer meet each other at school, they come into contact less with pupils or students who have different views and values. While a school should be a place where young people can practice dealing with conflicts, conducting a dialogue, tolerating dissenting opinions and showing respect for those who think differently.'
The connection between VMBO and HAVO is a crucial link in the education system
The Education Council proposes various solutions to combat segregation. From setting up broad preschool education facilities, not only targeting disadvantaged children, to setting up broad bridging classes that can postpone the division of students into separate educational streams. It may also be possible to merge learning paths in pre-vocational secondary education and simplify the training offer in vocational education.
Emancipation route
The Council also believes that attention should be paid to improving the connection between VMBO and HAVO. 'This is a crucial link in the education system: the transition from VMBO to HAVO is an important emancipation route to higher professional education.'
The Education Council also proposes transition classes to facilitate the transition between other types of education. And 'unnecessary stumbling blocks' such as additional requirements and student selection should be re-examined.
Permanent education
Finally, according to the Council, an affordable training offer for permanent education is also necessary. 'The current system is insufficiently geared to permanent training during the life career. That makes the position of people with a lower and intermediate level of education particularly vulnerable.'
