Petition against mandatory math test at mbo: give all students an equal chance at a diploma.
All students in mbo courses must recently score at least 5 in the required math test to get a diploma. Even a 4.5 is rounded up to a 5. For students with severe dyscalculia, even 4.5 is not possible, so those students will never get their diploma. A student with dyscalculia started a petition to change this.
The required math test for mbo students at levels 2, 3, and 4 counts towards the diploma since the 2022-2023 school year. In the year before, you could still get your diploma with a failing math test score if you scored enough in your other subjects. Since August 2022, this is no longer the case.
Minimum Scores
You can get a diploma with at least 4.5 on the required math test (which is rounded to 5). There must also be a passing score (at least 6) for Dutch, and at level 4 also a 6 for English. In this case, students can still get their diploma.
Separate Arrangement
Because even the minimum 4.5 is not possible for students with (severe) dyscalculia, an mbo student with dyscalculia, together with her parents, started the petition ‘Increase the chance of a diploma for mbo students with dyscalculia’. Parent association Balans and Ouders & Onderwijs will present the petition, together with students and parents, to the House of Representatives for the MBO debate on April 16. We will ask to make an arrangement for students with severe dyscalculia who can never get a passing grade for the math test.
Support Students With Dyscalculia
Both Balans and Ouders & Onderwijs think there should be an exception for students with severe dyscalculia who will never pass the math test, even with extra practice. They could look at a diploma with a note stating that the math test was not passed due to severe dyscalculia.
Stop This Inequality
Make sure students with dyscalculia get a fair chance to get an mbo diploma again. Just like before the new math test rules. Stop this inequality and stop wasting the talents of young people with dyscalculia. Do not leave them without a diploma. Sign the petition and help talented students with severe dyscalculia get their diploma.
Note, the petition says a passing grade on the required math test is needed, but this is not true. The text could not be changed for technical reasons.
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