Parents Give Secondary Schools Insufficient For Education Quality.

Parents Give Secondary Schools Insufficient For Education Quality.

Parents worry about the quality of education. Especially in secondary education, the problems are large. Here a third of parents are unhappy with the quality of education. That shows from our research among 824 parents in the Landelijk Ouderpanel of Ouders & Onderwijs.

Parents negative about education quality in secondary education

Teachers carry a heavy load, classes grow, and lessons are canceled more often. Parents are unhappy with the quality of education. This is especially visible in secondary education. Here as much as 33% of parents surveyed are unhappy with the quality of education. In primary education the problems are smaller, with 24% of parents unhappy.

Increased lesson cancellations

Alongside large classes and high workload for teachers, lessons are canceled more often. Ouders & Onderwijs has already done research on the increasing cancellation of lessons. This report shows that as much as 12% of all lessons in secondary education are canceled, causing a serious delay for students. The high lesson cancellations are no surprise. The teacher shortage is a known problem. That is why Ouders & Onderwijs made a manifesto that tackles this: every student in 2030 a qualified teacher.

 

Classes often too large

The growing classes also affect the quality of education. Especially in secondary education classes are large. This is also confirmed in the annual research report by Ouders & Onderwijs from April 2024, the Staat van de Ouder. It shows that classes in secondary education often have more than 26 students. The research also shows that class sizes of 26 children or more cause less fun at school. Ouders & Onderwijs therefore calls for a maximum standard for class sizes, which schools can only deviate from for a good reason.

Parents satisfied with teaching methods

All participants in the study were asked if they were satisfied with the current teaching methods. More than half of parents, as much as 52%, are satisfied with the current teaching methods at school. Moreover, 18% think the quality of teaching methods has improved in the last 10 years. Parents who are not happy with the teaching methods said methods are mixed or outdated.

Other studies

Various studies, including the State of Education from 2024, show that the quality of education is under pressure. It states that the quality difference between schools is very large. For example, 20% of the 225 schools studied received a failing score on the inspection report.

The PISA study, which compares Dutch education results with other countries, shows that school performance has dropped sharply. The 2022 study shows math scores have never fallen this much since 2006. One quarter of students are not strong enough in math and/or science. One third of students are not strong enough in reading.

About the study   

Eight hundred twenty-four parents with a child in primary education, secondary education, and/or mbo took part. The results represent gender, education level, and cultural background, with a range of child ages. Would you also like to talk about important school topics? Then sign up for the Landelijk Ouderpanel.

Questions and contact 

Do you have questions about education quality, missed lessons, or class size? Or do you have other questions about your child’s education? Then contact our advice point via WhatsApp, email, or phone.