Dutch Educational system and

Teacher education

Ongoing search for improvement in

Education

Presentation

ContextHistoryPresent situation and challenges in education

Context Situation of the Netherlandsafter Second World War till now

High Social- Economical Standards Economical growthProsperityPolitical stability (democratic country)

Ambitions

The Netherlands as a on knowledge based highly qualified country, able to compete with new and old emerging countries in the world, to ensure its welfare and prosperity now and in the future

Netherlands 2013

Enduring economical crises : hardly economical growth expected next years Challenges of the multi-cultural society in big citiesDiscussion about the influence of the Europe CommunityTowards a more sustainable society?

But: education is high priority

“The better (accessible) education is, the more chances for prosperity and well-being for the people..

But first: the Dutch Educational System

Based on “typical(?)” Dutch values :

Freedom of self-determination

Freedom of education: Anyone can start a school..!..since 1917

Catholic, Protestant (4 categories), Hindu, Islam, Jewish, General specific schools are all paid by the government just as the Public Schools!

Complex System: 3 approaches

A. Formal systemB. DenominationsC. Specific Pedagogical approaches

And then we have also the construct of Community-schools

Interaction between: SchoolParents“Surrounding partners” of the schoolExtra learning time

“It takes a village to raise a child: learner

BUT: ALREADY GROUP 0 AND EFFORTS TO STOP AT 23 YEAR OLD!Milestone: startqualification

Compulsory Education: 5 years old up to and including 18 years old

Primary education 8 years

Preparatory Vocational Education

(4 years) 4 levels, 4 sectors

Higher Secondary Education (5 years) 4 sectors

Preparatory Programme research universities

(6 years) 4 sectors

Level 1

Level 2 2-3 years

Level 3 2-4 years

Level 4 3-4 years

Post secondary vocational education

Bachelor degree at

Hogescholen usually professionally

oriented 240 EC 7 sectors

Bachelor degree at

Universiteiten usually research

oriented 180 EC

Masters degree at Hog esch olen (60-120 EC)

Master degree at Univers iteiten (60-120 EC)

Doctor’s degree (dissertation)

4 years

AGE

12

16

17

18

19

20

4

21 -22

23 - 25

Seconday Special Needs Education

Secondary special needs schoolsPractice schools

Specific type of school(denominations)

PublicProtestantCatholicIslamHinduGeneral specific :”private”: eclectic/Montessori/Waldorf/Dalton,etc.

MontessoriJenaplanDaltonOr: Eclectic mix

Within a denomination a primary/secondary school can choose a pedagogical construct

For Example

A Roman Catholic Primaryschool, is a Montessorischool and communityschoolA protestant Secondary school can be a DaltonschoolA Public school is a Jenaplan school and communityschool

So: Each school can built within limitations its own unique educational concept.

-Means: Constant adaptation to the demands of changing economical needs and changing

populations.

Example

A catholic secundary school can be:Montessori-basedA community schoolHave an USP ( languages, culture, sports, business, technics/science)

Supervision

Every school is (almost) yearly visited by a school inspector : Report of the school is published on internetThe results of the CITO-test of the learners of the school are also published on internetEvery school makes its yearly report for his authority Opinion magazins publish all kinds of reports and make a “top 100”Results of exams are published on internet and in yearly schoolreports..

PISA and Unesco scores

PISA: Language/Mathematics: top 10

Unesco: Overall Happiness Dutch Children : nr.1!

Rotterdam: port of Europe

Rotterdam a powerful city

Port of West Europe, extendingHuge Petrochemical industries1,2 million people ( conglomerate)Young populationImmigrant city(178 nationalities)Modern architecture

but

Compared with other 3 big Dutch cities (A,D,U):Lowest level of education ( av.vocational ed.)Highest level of unemploymentLowest average income Highest participation in social welfare

Challenges

Improvement of educational level and influx to Higher education especially for immigrant childrenReducing school drop outReinforce labour participation

Now: competition all over!

It are the schoolresults in Dutch Language and Arithmatic/calculation that count!

All hands on deck to improve the output of the schools: more time for learning, less time for “Bildung”….

What about Teacher education?

Great (inter)national pressure to excellent teachingNo Bachelor course is so severe under guardianship as teacher education..Many “experts”have their opinions about the quality of the teacher and teacher training..Metaphore:sitting in a glass greenhouseWe ourselves have an increasing focus on improvement ( intern/extern audits)

Questions??

Thank you for your attention

Gerard Reitsma, Manager external relations School of Education RUAS

Range of challenges: intentions and measures to improve the quality of the teacher training

Level of National Policy:Document Craftmanship and Mastership in EducationBody of Knowledge of all disciplines defined

Note: Both for Primary and Secondary education

Also Level of national policy

More research in courses (minor)More men in the classroom( Primary ed.)Academic Teacher Training ( together with Erasmus University of Research ( Primary ed.)_Special programmes for excellent students (P+S ed)Special programmes for students with special needs(P+S ed.)Practice driven line: more (mutual)responsiblities to internship- schools ( Sec.Education)Our lecturers self: more Masters and Doctors (Phd’s)

Challenges

More severe selection of Teacher students ( before start and during first year): Language+Arithmatic and later: Biology, Geografy , History..

In some contradiction with: RUAS policy of emancipation of population of Rotterdam

Strong demand of teachers after 2017

Extra efforts of RUAS ( School of Education)

Study-succesfully-programme Established first Academic Teacher Training Course ( double Bachelor degree)Extra programmes for underachieving students ( language /arithmatic)In curriculum substantial part about teaching in the “big city”

And:

Intervision programme for our lecturers Intensive cooperation with Center of Talentdevelopment ( Minors+Mastercourses)Cooperation with Erasmus University ( Academic Teacher Training/knowledge about research and Multicultural issues.Increasing international BenchmarkactivitiesIncreasing international student exchange

(Possible) threats , opportunities

effects on our budgets (recession)National trend: no decrease of influx Teacher studentsInduction phase in schools