Thousands of pre-vocational secondary education students were told on Wednesday that they passed. A moment to never forget, but for Leroy van der Beek from Sint Hubert it was a very special day. None other than education minister Dennis Wiersma was on his doorstep to bring the good news.
It was a shock when suddenly the doorbell rang. “You’ve been waiting all afternoon for a call,” says Leroy. “In the group app I saw that more and more classmates had already passed, but I didn’t hear anything. Then you start to doubt more and more. Did I make it?”
Until the minister suddenly showed up at the door with a mob of journalists in his wake. “Coincidentally, I had seen a picture of him this week, so I knew who that gentleman was.” And that gentleman had doubly good news for the student at Merlet College in Mill. Not only was he able to tell Leroy that he passed, but he also graduated with honors.
“I practiced a lot with my grandmother at home. I’m going to make an extra toast with that.”
“I am very proud of that. Certainly that I even passed English with a pass, because I found that very difficult.” And to whom does he partly owe this success? “I had tutoring at school and practiced a lot with my grandmother at home. I’m going to have an extra toast with her.”
And of course that toasting includes: “Cake!”, says the minister, who watches with a smile as the newly successful graduate cuts the cake. “You get an 8 for that too.”
As education minister, it is of course also a bit of a festive month for Wiersma. “Last week we were able to congratulate a lot of HAVO and VWO students, today another 40,000 VMBO students will be added.” He thinks it is an achievement that we should pay extra attention to this year. “It has been an incredibly difficult time for all those students because of corona.”
“Party with my friends first.”
That is exactly the plan that Leroy also has in mind. “After this I will do a gardening course in Nijmegen. I am really looking forward to that. But first partying with my friends.” And what better way to herald that than by hanging the flag outside together with the minister. “It was an exciting day because of the long wait, but in the end this makes it extra fun.”
