Math test made slightly better
In all sectors of secondary education, pupils performed the math test better in 2016 than in the previous year. Many MBO students at level 4 have difficulty with the arithmetic test: almost half achieved a fail mark in the past school year. In HAVO, 40 percent of students scored unsatisfactory in 2016.
It turns out from new figures of the Ministry of Education. Tomorrow the Permanent Parliamentary Committee for Education will discuss the arithmetic test.
In 2016, the percentage of VMBO-bb students who passed the math test rose from 50,6 to 65,7. The greatest improvement was seen at the VMBO GT/TL school level: 89,3 percent of pupils passed the exam in 2016. In 2015 this was still 69,4 percent. HAVO improved from 53,9 to 60,1 percent. The math scores at the higher MBO levels are stagnating. Of all tests taken in the 2015-2016 school year at MBO level 4, 31 percent resulted in a pass. There are several test moments: if only the highest mark per student is counted, 48 percent will be passed. At senior secondary vocational education level 2, one-third of the exams resulted in a pass mark and almost half a mark of 4 or lower. According to Dekker, there is still a lot of work to be done before all MBO students have a good level of math.
Most pupils pass VWO: 94,8 percent. From next year, the test at that level will count as a core subject. This means that students can get a maximum of 5 for English, arithmetic, Dutch or mathematics. State Secretary Sander Dekker therefore expects students to be even more motivated next year.
Question marks for numbers
In the Telegraph math teachers question the figures of the Ministry of Education.
According to them, the increase in the number of passes is due to the increased number of resits: four in 2016.
Checkout key
There was already a lot to be done politically about the arithmetic test. Dekker announced in June that the test this school year does not count towards the diploma at HAVO and VMBO. In October 2015, the PvdA turned at the last minute against counting the math test for the diploma for VMBO, HAVO and MBO. SP, D66 and the CDA to speak of a 'settlement test' and call on the PvdA to withdraw support for the calculation test. "We know that the PvdA wants to stop the arithmetic test, but the VVD is not allowed to say that," said SP MP Jasper van Dijk.
The MBO council, which represents the school boards, wants the test to count towards the diploma. It would motivate students more, their efforts would be rewarded according to the council. Also the AOb thinks that the arithmetic test should count, but then the exams should be looked at first. The questions are often still too linguistic.
