Call to minister: Make sure the AOb gets a seat at the table again.

Call to minister: Make sure the AOb gets a seat at the table again.

At the end of September, the General Education Union announced to stop talks with the Ministry about Tailored Education. In a letter, Ouders & Onderwijs calls on minister Wiersma to do everything to get the union representatives back to the table. ‘Because without their involvement we will not succeed,’ the letter says.

According to director Thijs Roovers of the General Education Union, the talks gave too little attention to the voice of the teaching staff. ‘The system causes frustration and high work pressure. Teachers have to serve more students with extra care needs in the classroom than before the introduction of Tailored Education.’

Smaller classes

Director Lobke Vlaming of Ouders & Onderwijs agrees with the criticism. ‘The plans to improve Tailored Education focus mainly on improvements outside the classroom, while teachers, parents and students have consistently said that changes must be noticeable at the classroom level. For example, by better supporting teachers, reducing work pressure, having smaller classes and giving attention to Tailored Education in teacher training.’

The letter from Ouders & Onderwijs also says that the voice from practice must be heard much more and taken seriously. And that the minister must act to get the General Education Union back at the table. Want to know more? Read the complete letter. It is co-signed by the organizations Balans, Ieder(in) and LBVSO.

Speed things up

How did Tailored Education stand again? The talks with interest groups are part of the start of the improvement approach for Tailored Education. Minister Wiersma said earlier this year that he wants to speed things up. The goal must be to make education truly inclusive for every student. But there are still some hurdles to take.

Questions

Do you have questions about Tailored Education? You can always look in our Knowledge Base. There you find a lot of information in one place. But you can also contact our staff. By e-mail: vraag@oudersenonderwijs.nl, WhatsApp or phone: 088-6050101. We are available on weekdays between 09.30-12.30 and 13.00-16.00.