Many secondary school students can't read well enough to continue education
Many students in the second year of secondary education do not have the reading level required to continue their education, the Education Inspectorate concluded in its first national survey of reading skills at this age. Most students in HAVO, VWO, and special education VSO have the required literacy skills, but “at the VMBO basic and intermediate level and at practical education (b/k), the results do not look good,” the Inspectorate said.
The Netherlands measures literacy at two levels. 1F is the fundamental reading level, and 2F is more comprehensive. 2F is the literacy skills required to function independently in society and to keep up at secondary schools.
The Inspectorate found that most second-year students in practical education and VMBO-b/k have not yet achieved level 1F. “The reading skills of the majority of this group of Dutch pupils are not good enough, This requires an improved approach,” the Inspectorate said. About a quarter of secondary school students in the Netherlands follow practical education or VMBO-b/k.
In the second year of HAVO, VWO, and VSO, most students read at or above the 2F level. According to the Inspectorate, that is appropriate for the school year.
The Inspectorate made several suggestions for improving the reading level, based on advice from a group of experts. The most obvious advice is encouraging students to read more - spend more time reading at school and make sure enjoyable books are available.
The Inspectorate also suggested paying more attention to reading skills in other subjects. Dutch teachers and teachers of other subjects should work together more to achieve this. It also recommended paying “deeper attention” to reading skills in teacher training, including making it mandatory for teachers to read children’s literature.
