Parents are often a bigger power than they think.

Parents are often a bigger power than they think.

Ouders & Onderwijs is now also there for parents with children in mbo. And that Is important because parents play a big role in helping young people get their diploma and choose a tailored education profession. It Is time for an introduction meeting with our new mbo advisor: Patrick Woudstra.

Everyone knows an mbo student, but no one knows mbo,” says Patrick Woudstra (45). “Without mbo not much happens. You want to carry out the climate and energy transition, then you need mbo students. If you need a train controller to go to work: that Is an mbo student. The road assistance if your car breaks down. The same goes for nurses and so on.

Those who think mbo Is top priority for policy makers will be disappointed. “For many policy makers mbo Is a blind spot. Even though there are more than half a million students. You see that attention for primary and secondary education Is much greater. If I wanted to change something it Is that.

Practical solutions

As a teacher he gained much experience. “I taught for 21 years, both in mbo and hbo. I always had the same goal as parents: the best education for their children. For a time I was internal support coordinator at school, to guide students with special care needs.

He put his heart into it. “We had a student with a physical disability who was rejected by special education. Then you make special adaptations so they can take tests. We had much support from ambulant counselors to find practical locations open to people with disabilities. Colleagues said: can we handle this, we are not a care institution, but it became one of the best success stories.

It deserves a serious approach. “I noticed that if you can start that conversation within a team, you can find practical solutions. People too often think in problems.”

Involving parents

Woudstra was also very good at teaching. He even reached the final for teacher of the year. What did he do differently from other teachers? “No homework,” he says laughing. “That the nomination came from students and they made videos and interviews themselves Is still overwhelming. In the end it was a surprise for my School governing body that I was nominated.”

He thinks it Is important to involve parents in all school decisions. “Not all parents came to parent evenings. For some parents the barrier to come Is high. We then visited all parents at home. A different approach, but it does increase participation.”

Possibilities and limitations

What does he bring to Ouders & Onderwijs? “I think it helps that I know education from inside. I know the way and how agencies work. And I know where to go. I know the possibilities and limitations you can face.” Woudstra sees many bottlenecks in mbo. “Parent representation in mbo can be much better. In primary and secondary education there Is a School participation council with parents required, but not in mbo. Only if at least 25 parents ask, the mbo board must listen. Parents are often a bigger power than they think.

New normal

The corona crisis with many lessons remotely had huge impact on education. “In normal lessons there was room for deepening with extra material, but during the crisis that was not always possible. Also students faced social problems. First years only knew each other via the screen, so they dropped out much sooner. If you are alone behind the screen and feel down, it Is easier to stop. If you are in a class as part of a group, it Is very different. As a teacher I noticed after lockdown students really wanted personal contact. I am curious how parents experienced this period. Therefore I want to invite parents with children in mbo to join our parent panel.”

Are you a parent of children in mbo and want to talk about education? Sign up for the Landelijk Ouderpanel.

 

Ouders & Onderwijs will focus extra on parents with children in mbo. Just like in primary and secondary education we want to strengthen the role of parents and represent them if needed. To be a full conversation partner for these parents we will engage with mbo organizations and parliamentary members responsible for mbo. Everything to let these parents’ voices be heard and pay attention to bottlenecks. Some research we do among parents in the Landelijk Ouderpanel will also be done among mbo parents. Furthermore, we will place more specific mbo articles in our online Knowledge Base. So keep an eye on our website in the coming period.