News item | 20-05-2025 | 07:00
In a society that is changing faster and faster, the basic skills of language, arithmetic and citizenship are essential for young people to find their way. Due to good control of basic skills, MBO students can manage better in society, practice their profession well or successfully move on to a further education.
Measures to strengthen basic skills are now being put into practice: students who need it receive extra guidance at the start of their education. Calculation and language are more emphatically connected to the professional context, so that practicing and applying come together. For language, the requirements are better tailored to a maximum development of the different groups of MBO students. At the same time, teachers are extra supported and equipped via new training courses and work is being done to reduce administrative burdens. Citizenship education also takes shape, students learn to formulate opinions and to conduct dialogues on topics that match their world.
Minister Bruins (Education, Culture and Science): “Those who master language and arithmetic are stronger in life and will meet the future with confidence. Together with citizenship, these are indispensable skills for every MBO student. We see, however, that many of them are still struggling with this. That is precisely why it is essential to invest in a targeted and tailor-made way, which many educational institutions are fortunately already varied.”
More guidance and support for starting MBO students
Many starting MBO students currently need extra support on language and arithmetic. For this, the upcoming study years 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 have been released a total of 47.2 million euros within the OCW budget. This allows MBO institutions to invest in extra guidance, for example through the use of extra (educational) staff. For example, there are MBO institutions with a language and calculation center where educational staff or tutors can offer targeted education to MBO students. In doing so, they focus on the target groups most needed. The goal is to prevent study delay and failure as much as possible.
Teachers: professionalization and more room for teaching
Good education starts with expert and well -equipped teachers. For teachers Dutch, arithmetic and citizenship are therefore additional training courses developed. These processes deepen their professional and didactic skills. There will be a transition period for sitting teachers, so that institutions can already include this in their professionalization plans. It is also focused on reducing administrative burdens. Institutions are called upon to take a critical look at registration tasks, so that teachers get more room for their core task: good teaching.
Language requirements Better to MBO student adapted
In today’s language requirements, there is insufficient attention for differences in MBO student groups and the work situations for which they are being trained. These will soon be adjusted to better match the needs of students and practice in the curriculum. The language level must be adequate for a good transfer within MBO and to HBO. What this means in class is becoming increasingly concrete. A student not only learns how to read a text, but also what you do with it. For example, in healthcare, where understanding a transfer form can be decisive for the well -being of a client. Or in technology, where the proper interpretation of a work instruction makes the difference between working safely or risky. The Ministry has the new language requirements tested in practice in the coming period and examines whether an institutional exam for Dutch is feasible and guarantees the overall exam quality.
Citizenship
There will also be new qualification requirements for citizenship education, which help students to develop themselves and find their way in society. They learn to deal with social issues, for example by practicing with critical thinking and learning to listen to the views of others. A possible qualifying requirement is to substantiate how tension can arise between individual and collective interests.
Calculate
Calculation skills are indispensable for daily life and professional practice. Students with calculation problems receive extra attention and support and institutions are encouraged to use existing facilities for this. This may include extended exam time, an extra large screen or customized test forms such as oral exams. In addition, Arithmetic is explicitly linked to the professional context and the world of students. Students learn to count on the basis of concrete and recognizable situations such as understanding a receipt, reading building plans or dosing medicines. In addition, good examples are developed within MBO institutions, such as ROC Nijmegen, where students strengthen their math skills through digital practice modules and instructional videos.