News item | 15-02-2024 | 06:30
The way in which students are selected for courses can lead to inequality of opportunity. Certain groups of students, such as first-generation students or students with a migration background, then have less chance of getting a place. There is now a lot of knowledge on how to prevent this, and it is now time for colleges and universities to actually apply that knowledge in practice. Minister Dijkgraaf (education) wrote this today in a letter to the House of Representatives. He also opposes ‘shadow education’ as preparation for selection procedures. Dijkgraaf also believes that institutions should better inform prospective students about the selection procedures to prevent them from being deterred
Minister Dijkgraaf: “It is important to work together with institutions to achieve greater equality of opportunity in the selection of students. It cannot be the case that you have the same qualifications, but still have a greater or lesser chance of getting a place due to factors such as extra training or the extent to which you have social and cultural capital. Working on equality of opportunity is a learning process. It is therefore important to actually use the available knowledge. Good to see that select courses want to get started with this. Another measure to improve equality of opportunity is the lottery, which we made possible again last year. More and more courses are using lottery as a selection instrument, I am happy that this instrument meets a need.”
Effects of decentralized selection
The letter is an elaboration of the Future Outlook on the system of further education and science. Dijkgraaf also responds to a report from the Education Inspectorate. He concluded last year that decentralized selection can have unintended effects, such as inequality of opportunity. Certain groups of students may then have less chance of getting a place at a course that has a maximum capacity. And that can have consequences for the diversity of the student population. For example, in a course such as Medicine, the group of students who pass the selection procedure has become less diverse in recent years. While there is a need for doctors with different backgrounds. The same applies to many other courses.
Apply knowledge
Dijkgraaf believes it is important that courses are aware of the risk of favoritism (‘bias’). Much more knowledge has become available about the side effects of certain selection criteria and selection instruments – and also how training courses can take this into account. For example, the Higher Education Selection Handbook offers useful and practical insights for programs to design and evaluate their selection procedures. Dijkgraaf welcomes the fact that colleges and universities will use this knowledge to look more critically at their selection procedures, better substantiate them, exchange knowledge and provide each other feedback. He believes it is important that participation is involved. The knowledge of students and employees can help refine the process.
Combating shadow education
The minister also expressly opposes ‘shadow education’: paid training as preparation for selection procedures. This systematically disadvantages prospective students who cannot afford such training. This is also important for courses: selection should be about the qualities and skills of a prospective student, not about the thickness of the parents’ wallets.
To prevent ‘bias’, Dijkgraaf encourages training courses to use selection instruments that cannot be trained. It makes a big difference how exactly training courses use a selection instrument. By placing more emphasis on non-trainable skills in the selection, such as communication or collaboration, training can reduce the risk of undesirable effects. Consider an on-site ability test, where the candidate carries out a collaborative assignment and is then asked to reflect on it. Another option to increase equality of opportunity is to write a motivation letter at location, instead of at home. Because not everyone at home receives the same help for this. Finally, evaluating selection procedures helps prevent prospective students from unnecessarily having to jump through additional hoops.
Selection is a challenge for many students: in order not to unnecessarily frighten candidates, Dijkgraaf calls on institutions to ensure good information and transparency about the selection procedures used.
Student success
Improving equality of opportunity during selection fits in with Dijkgraaf’s aim to focus on student success. Selection can challenge prospective students, but can also unnecessarily push them to get a place at a selective course. This government has taken steps to reduce performance pressure. Consider an approach to strengthen the well-being of students in secondary vocational education, higher professional education and university education, so that students, for example, feel more at home at the educational institution. The starting signal has also been given for pilots with a ‘smarter academic year’, which should provide more breathing space during the academic year. And finally, the return of the basic grant and the expansion of the supplementary grant provides more financial peace.