In my twelfth year circling the sun, I was convinced I’d be a rock star. When I learned Brian May, Queen’s guitarist and my idol, has a PhD in astrophysics, I devised a flawless ten-year plan: by 22, I’d have a few Grammys and a Nobel Prize.
Now, imagine being 12, fickle of mind, and – bam! – your future is decided. Welcome to the Dutch schooling system, where the ‘Cito Eindtoets Basisonderwijs’ largely determines your educational track. A high-stakes test for kids who still believe in Sinterklaas.
At the end of primary school, students are sorted into VMBO (vocational), HAVO (general), or VWO (pre-university). In theory, it matches kids to their abilities. In reality? It’s a game of ‘hope your teacher saw your potential before your awkward phase kicked in’. Gymnasium, an elite VWO track, requires strong academics – and often comes with a holier-than-thou attitude.
What happens when you sort kids like laundry? Research from our very own University of Groningen shows children from lower-income families are more likely to be placed in lower tracks, regardless of ability. 30 percent of gifted kids are mistakenly sent to VMBO, which 60 percent of Dutch kids enter. The result? Lost potential. IQ isn’t fixed at 12, and changing tracks later is an uphill battle.
The psyche of a teenager is murky enough, why slap a label on their forehead for their peers to judge?
If you’re in VMBO, people assume you’re not ‘academic’. If you’re in VWO, they expect you to be Einstein. The psyche of a teenager is murky enough, why slap a label on their forehead for their peers to judge?
Despite all this sorting, Dutch education rankings are slipping. Reading, math, and science scores are declining. School inspectors warn that primary school reading levels are worse than twenty years ago.
The numbers suggest reform is needed. So, what really stumped me is that my Dutch friends disagree. The numbers don’t account for cultural context. Those who have actually gone through the system don’t seem to have a problem, and no one revolts when they’re content.
Ten years later and I still don’t have a lick of musical talent, but I do study physics. It wasn’t part of some master plan – it was dumb luck. At 13, I wanted to be a wildlife ranger. At 14, a pilot. I’ve wanted a million things, a million times over. The system shouldn’t decide your fate before you’ve had a chance to grow into it. But it’s too easy to assume the system is at fault. A little creativity is what’s needed, and that comes from home.
CARLA ERASMUS