On October 1st of this year, Platform Onderwijs 2032 presented a list of recommendations in order to improve the education for future generations. In the year 2032, the students who are in Group 1 in the Netherlands will begin their career lives, and the Education program must address the future needs of these students. The organization’s website states the following:
Kinderen die nu voor het eerst naar school gaan, solliciteren rond 2032 naar hun eerste baan. Wat moeten zij nú leren om straks een vliegende start te kunnen maken op de arbeidsmarkt? Welke kennis en vaardigheden hebben zij nodig om optimaal te kunnen functioneren in de samenleving van de toekomst? (www.onsonderwijs2032.nl)
In short, the aim of this research was to find out what students who are currently in Group 1 need to know and which skills do they need in order to successfully enter the labor force in 2032. With the world changing so rapidly and the needs of individuals, communities, countries, companies and the world as a whole changing so rapidly, education around the world needs to focus on what can work for the future rather than only focusing on what has worked in the past. This, however, is no easy feat!
The recommendations of Onderwijs 2032 are centered around 4 different themes:
Kennis en vaardigheden voor leren en work (Knowledge and skills for learning and work)
Maatschappelijke toerusting (Social cohesion)
Persoonsvorming (Personal development)
Principes voor curriculumontwerp (Principles for curriculum design)
Although there was a lot of talk about the findings of the research conducted by Ons Onderwijs 2032, the biggest topic in the news outlets was the recommendation that students should begin learning English in Group 1. The following link is just one of the many reports on the topic.
Most people can agree that the Dutch master the English language fairly well even though it is taught at most schools until Group 7. So why would Ons Onderwijs 2032 recommend teaching English at a younger age?
For one, learning any foreign language at a younger age is actually something desired. Children’s brains are like sponges and acquiring a new language early means that they will be able to deepen their handling of this language much faster and with a much more native-like accuracy than an adult learner could. The idea that children shouldn’t be exposed to a second language because it could hurt their development is outdated and disproven. Many children around the world handle two languages for a variety of reasons such as migration, bicultural families, specialized schools, etc. Another reason could be to leave time for a third and even fourth language. Squeezing in two languages at the high school level leaves little time to truly grasp the language and many students can forget these languages overtime.
What are your thoughts on Ons Onderwijs 2032 and the recommendations?
For those wishing to look into second language acquisition in the Netherlands, the following link might be useful.
Since I was a little girl, I was fascinated with languages and writing. I speak English, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and a little bit of French. I am a writer, reader, language teacher, traveler, and a food lover!
I now live in The Netherlands with my husband Riccardo, our cat Mona, and our dog Lisa, and the experience has been phenomenal. The Dutch culture is an exciting sometimes topsy-turvy world that I am happily exploring!
Comments:
Lawrence Swaim:
Is there a fear that perhaps learning English early might unconsciously cause Dutch-speakers to prefer English for expressing certain thoughts, or that it might subtly cause people to devalue their Dutch culture?
Karoly G Molina:
@Lawrence Swaim Hello Lawrence, I do think that it has to do, in part, with protecting the Dutch language. I believe that many of the choices in the country are related to that. The Netherlands was the first country to require language exams for immigrants and this can also be attributed to preserving the Dutch language. With so few people speaking Dutch (I dare say around than 35 million) and with the mobility around Europe, it wouldn’t be impossible to make Dutch obsolete.
Comments:
Lawrence Swaim:
Is there a fear that perhaps learning English early might unconsciously cause Dutch-speakers to prefer English for expressing certain thoughts, or that it might subtly cause people to devalue their Dutch culture?
Karoly G Molina:
@Lawrence Swaim Hello Lawrence, I do think that it has to do, in part, with protecting the Dutch language. I believe that many of the choices in the country are related to that. The Netherlands was the first country to require language exams for immigrants and this can also be attributed to preserving the Dutch language. With so few people speaking Dutch (I dare say around than 35 million) and with the mobility around Europe, it wouldn’t be impossible to make Dutch obsolete.