Letter From Parent Organizations To The House Of Representatives: Improve The Mbo.

Letter From Parent Organizations To The House Of Representatives: Improve The Mbo.

On Wednesday 1 October, there is a debate in the Second Chamber about secondary vocational education (mbo). Parents & Onderwijs sent, together with other parent organizations, a letter with a clear message: Mbo is crucial, but it can still be much better. That is why we call on the Chamber to come up with concrete solutions.

Parents & Onderwijs works hard for mbo together with Oudervereniging Balans, De Reformatorische Oudervereniging, OCO and Stichting Voor Werkende Ouders. It can really be better in some areas. Too many young people leave mbo without a diploma, not all teachers are qualified, minor students still have to pay too often for their education, and parents are not involved enough yet. In the letter, we come with proposals to improve mbo.

School dropout remains a big problem

More than 22,000 mbo students left school last year without a diploma. There are different reasons for this: disappointment with the program, wrong study choice and lack of guidance play a big role. This can be improved by letting mbo schools offer better guidance, help with internships, and better study choice guidance.

Basic skills and qualified teachers

Not all teachers in general subjects, such as Dutch and mathematics, have the right diplomas and experience to teach those subjects. We find this undesirable. That is why we call to ensure well-trained teachers and do not want to lower the requirements for language and mathematics.

Equal treatment of minors

Minor mbo students often pay themselves for books and facilities, while peers in secondary education do not have to do this. We think education for minor mbo students should be free of charge.

Parents need to be better involved

At the moment, parents are not always well involved by mbo schools. We call to arrange this better. Parents are not spectators, but partners. Their role is crucial to prevent school dropout.