Disappointing test figures show students are still struggling to get back into school-mode

Poor results of the first "normal" test week of this academic year show that kids are still having a hard time getting back into the swing of things at school. Only one school reported that the results were comparable with other years, Trouw reports after surveying secondary schools.

The reactions from other schools included "dramatic," "not what we are used to," and "less than we normally score."

"The test period in November is usually not the best of the year," rector Jan-Paul Beekman of the Spinoza Lyceum in Amsterdam said to Trouw. But this year is unprecedented, he said. "Normally, we already passed the group formation period in classes: everyone's place has been determined, and people can work quietly. But now students are still very much in it. They are not focused on learning at all."

Rector Wim van de Eshof of Penta College CSG Jacob van Liesvelt in Hellevoetsluis said that the poor test results are just a symptom "It is the social-emotional problem that worries me. We were prepared for that, but the problems turned out to be more serious than expected. There is more unrest in lessons, more incidents, and also much more severe issues, like students who have symptoms of depression. I have already imposed more suspensions in the first ten weeks of this school year than is usual in two years."

School administrators from Rotterdam and Eindhoven also reported more discipline problems.

High school students are currently 27 weeks behind the pre-coronavirus teaching schedule, according to the newspaper. But that is not schools' primary concern. They worry about the lack of motivation, inability to collaborate, and depression among students.