Fewer recommendations for pre-university education with new primary school test

The new progression test at the end of primary education has resulted in almost a quarter fewer recommendations for pre-university education (VWO). This year, 13 percent of primary school students received a VWO recommendation, compared to 17 percent last year. At the same time, more children from underprivileged situations were eligible for a higher secondary school recommendation, the Volkskrant reports based on figures obtained from the Ministry of Education through an appeal to the Open Government Act.

The progression test replaced the central final test this year. They’re pretty similar in terms of design, measuring children’s attained level in the areas of language and arithmetic. The big difference is that schools now have to advise upward - if a student does better than expected on the progression test, the school must adjust their secondary education recommendation to reflect that.

Based on a study of the results from the Cito progression test, offered at around 40 percent of primary schools, the Ministry noted that students with a “high school weighting”—kids from underprivileged circumstances—were eligible for a higher school advice than expected this year at 21.7 percent compared to 9.5 percent of students from schools with a “low school weighting.” The Ministry considers this proof that the progression test is increasing equality of opportunity during the transition from primary to secondary education, one of its goals.

The Ministry noted that there are greater differences between the test providers than with the central final tests and that the test results were lower this year. The six test providers were inundated with emails and schools from concerned schools after the results were announced in mid-March. In response, the Ministry attributed the lower results to a more accurate measurement based on a new standard that was the same for all test providers for the first time. The new measurement makes the tests easier to compare with each other, but not with previous years, the Ministry said.