Twenty school boards – united in the Long Live Education Program – are calling for a statement not to make final exam compulsory. They believe that their schools and teachers should determine for themselves which children the test has added value to. Only when there is doubt about the school’s advice or in consultation with parents should schools be able to purchase it.
However, a final exam is required by law. The Inspector General of Education Inspectorate, Alida Obers, said yesterday in this newspaper that the final exam should be taken this year. Her argument was “then at least you know how the students and the education are.”
This appeal went wrong with the school boards, especially because they informed the inspectorate and the ministry of the statement on Monday. They believe that there is very little confidence in the experience of elementary schools and teachers. “The teacher is the only one who can assess whether a final exam is necessary for the student,” says Helma Van der Hoen, director of the Alkmaar Foundation for Catholic Schools (SAKS) and co-launching of the statement. All teachers know very well where their students are standing, even while studying at home. A final exam is not necessary for this. “
