Backlog and dropout are increasing as a result of corona
The delay in learning growth in math and spelling is increasing. More and more students in intermediate and higher vocational education are also leaving school without a diploma. This is evident from the progress report of the National Education Programme. “The problem is getting bigger instead of smaller.”
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The investigation report shows that the arrears that students have incurred during the corona crisis have not yet been made up everywhere. Pupils in primary school have about fifteen weeks delay in math and spelling and this is increasing. There is also good news: the arrears in reading comprehension are decreasing and have been completely caught up with the upper secondary students. It is also positive that students in all types of education perform better in English than before the corona crisis.
Teachers explain the differences because in some subjects, students mainly have to make extra flight hours to catch up on the material, such as reading, and that these extra hours have now been made. In arithmetic-mathematics it is more stacked: if you do not understand part of the material, it is more difficult to master the subsequent material.
Delay
It is remarkable that the delay is greater among children of highly educated parents, while the situation of pupils with less educated parents has improved considerably. According to the report, the fact that NPO resources are mainly used for pupils with a low socio-economic status is a possible explanation.
The learning delay is greatest in grade 8. If you continue that line, I hold my breath for what's going on in high schools
The precise effect of the learning delay in secondary education is still being investigated. Carla Haelermans, research leader of the National Cohort Study - part of the progress report - expresses her concerns in NRC: 'The problem is getting bigger instead of smaller. In our research, we see that learning delays increase as pupils get older: the learning delay is greatest in group 8. If you continue that line, I am heartbroken for what is going on in secondary schools.'
Performance Pressure
Especially since there are also increasing concerns about the well-being of students. Girls in secondary education in particular score much lower in terms of well-being and concentration than before corona and experience more pressure to perform. Conversations with professionals also show that students have difficulty learning, are less motivated and have difficulty planning. 'Students are more easily distracted, are busy and are more often hesitant in class. They are, as it were, no longer used to being in the classroom', explains a teacher in the report.
Students in secondary education also struggle with 'persistent mental problems' and study delays. For the first time since the corona outbreak, the dropout rate of students in both MBO and HBO is increasing sharply. More and more students leave school without a diploma. The consequences of the relaxed exam requirements, as a result of which many students start their further education with lower exam grades and reduced skills, are not yet clearly visible, but 'a greater chance of dropping out is lurking'.
Effect
During the corona crisis, students experienced school closures, lesson cancellations and distance learning, causing delays. The resources of the National Education Program (8,5 billion euros until 2025) are intended to make up for the arrears. According to ministers Robbert Dijkgraaf and Dennis Wiersma, the expenditure of resources in primary and secondary education is up to standard, in secondary education it is at 40 percent. 'From the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, we will provide extra support to schools in order to increase the effectiveness of the programme,' they write a letter to the House of Representatives.
However, a quarter of the boards in primary education have not accounted for the resources. There is also a lack of transparency in MBO and higher education. 'Bureau Berenschot was therefore unable to provide a comprehensive picture of expenditure on the basis of the annual reports. 'This is not acceptable', the ministers write in the letter, which promises targeted actions to still force governments to account.
A large part of the budget is not used and of the money that is used, we cannot check whether it is well spent. That is certainly unacceptable
De AOb finds this worrying. “A large part of the budget is not used and of the money that is used, we cannot check whether it is well spent. That is certainly unacceptable. The backlog in some areas and the drop-out rate of students are even increasing, so we must do everything we can to turn this around,” says AObchairman Tamar van Gelder.
According to her, there is still a long way to go to really get everything on track. “The corona period has been very intense for education and you don't just catch up with those backlogs. Also because there are not enough colleagues to provide all the extra education.”
See also: Tutoring companies 'booming' thanks to NPO funds en NPO 'impracticable' due to teacher shortage, workload and lesson cancellations
