The Law on primary education BES - Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland
The Law on primary education BES - Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland
The Law on primary education BES - Rijksdienst Caribisch Nederland
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<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong><br />
<strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
In the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> Primary Educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong> (Wet Primair Onderwijs <strong>BES</strong> - WPO <strong>BES</strong>) the<br />
regulati<strong>on</strong>s which are applicable for schools in <strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> in the Dutch<br />
Caribbean are stipulated.<br />
Schools have to indicate in the guidelines of the school in which manner the<br />
obligated educati<strong>on</strong> time is being used. This obligati<strong>on</strong> the school has is expected<br />
to become effective as per the 1st of August 2012. In the guidelines of the school<br />
it can also be indicated which the weeks are that <strong>on</strong>ly have four schooldays, so<br />
parents know from the start of the school year what to expect. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> guidelines of<br />
the school and the school times can be discussed with the participati<strong>on</strong> board.<br />
03.1<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>primary</strong><br />
educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
ENG<br />
Educati<strong>on</strong> time<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong> (Article 10, part 6) prescribes that all pupils receive<br />
a minimum of 7.520 hours of educati<strong>on</strong> over eight c<strong>on</strong>secutive years. Pupils should<br />
receive a minimum of 3.520 hours in the first four years and at a minimum of 3.760<br />
in the last four years.<br />
For pupils in the 3rd to 8th grade a five day school week is applicable. For a<br />
maximum of seven weeks per year a four day school week may be scheduled for these<br />
groups instead of a five day school week. Weeks which already have four days per<br />
school week because of a general holiday, that takes place during schooldays, do not<br />
count. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> educating activities have to be divided proporti<strong>on</strong>ately over the day.<br />
How does this work in practice?<br />
Schools may choose to give pupils in all grades the same number of educati<strong>on</strong> hours.<br />
If schools choose to do this, all pupils will receive a minimum of 940 hours <strong>on</strong><br />
educati<strong>on</strong> each year. A school can also chose to give pupils in the first few school years<br />
(<strong>on</strong>derbouw) less hours of educati<strong>on</strong> than pupils in the upper school (bovenbouw). In<br />
that case a child goes to school lesser in the first four year than in the last four years. If<br />
a school chooses to do so, the pupils will receive an average of 880 hours of educati<strong>on</strong><br />
in the first four years. For the last four years this will be an average of 940 hours. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
school may spread the remaining hours over the different school years.<br />
Schools may determine themselves at what time schools starts and finishes. This<br />
way they can for example take into account the opening time of daycare centers and<br />
centers for after school activities.<br />
N.B.: According to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
<strong>on</strong> Foundati<strong>on</strong> Schools<br />
(Landsverordening Funderend<br />
Onderwijs) schools had to give<br />
a minimum of 4.000 hours of<br />
educati<strong>on</strong> in the 1st cycle and a<br />
minimum of 4.400 hours in the<br />
2nd cycle. Over eight c<strong>on</strong>secutive<br />
years a minimum of 8.400 hours of<br />
educati<strong>on</strong> should have been provided.<br />
(Instructi<strong>on</strong>) language<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> point of departure in the<br />
<strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> is two instructi<strong>on</strong><br />
languages per public entity, both<br />
with equal status. For B<strong>on</strong>aire these<br />
are Dutch and Papiamentu. For St.<br />
Eustatius and Saba these are Dutch<br />
and English. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> objectives for<br />
Dutch, Papiamentu and English are<br />
established in the regulati<strong>on</strong> about<br />
the main objectives.<br />
To guarantee the educati<strong>on</strong>al opportunities of pupils to the maximum, pupils<br />
should dominate Dutch at the end of <strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> as much as to allow<br />
them to successfully follow the sec<strong>on</strong>dary educati<strong>on</strong> in Dutch (B<strong>on</strong>aire and St.<br />
Eustatius). On Saba the pupils should dominate Dutch enough to be able to<br />
successfully make the final exam for the Dutch course.
Group divisi<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> law does not prescribe how schools should give classes. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> schools may<br />
determine this themselves. An example of this is the divisi<strong>on</strong> of groups. Most of the<br />
schools have age groups: children of the same age bel<strong>on</strong>g to the same group. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>re<br />
are also groups which put children of different ages in the same group. And there are<br />
schools which make shifting groups, by putting children together which are at the<br />
same point of the learning process.<br />
Qualified teachers<br />
As of August 2011 competency and qualificati<strong>on</strong> criteria are applicable for teachers.<br />
This means that the law prescribes that teachers should have a diploma which<br />
indicates that they comply with all the qualificati<strong>on</strong> criteria. For the coming years<br />
all teachers who are already giving classes may c<strong>on</strong>tinue to do so. Teachers, whom<br />
were competent according to the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> the Netherlands Antilles, will keep their<br />
competency. Teachers whom do not yet own a competency will have the chance to<br />
obtain this within a period of five years.<br />
Participati<strong>on</strong><br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> participati<strong>on</strong> board is a representati<strong>on</strong> of parents and pers<strong>on</strong>nel which meet at<br />
least twice a year. Together with the school board they discuss the general situati<strong>on</strong><br />
within the school. <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g>se meeting can also take place more frequently up<strong>on</strong> request.<br />
This way the participati<strong>on</strong> board plays a role in the internal supervisi<strong>on</strong> of the<br />
school. More informati<strong>on</strong> about the participati<strong>on</strong> board will be provided at a later<br />
point in time.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> school plan includes a descripti<strong>on</strong> of the policy c<strong>on</strong>cerning the quality of educati<strong>on</strong><br />
that is being given within the school, and includes in any case the educati<strong>on</strong>al policy, the<br />
pers<strong>on</strong>nel policy and the policy c<strong>on</strong>cerning the c<strong>on</strong>trol and improvement of quality of<br />
educati<strong>on</strong>. Having a school plan is obligated as of the 1st of August 2011.<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> school board also annually prepares an annual report about the previous calendar<br />
year (article 131).<br />
See as well: <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong> - Nr. 3.0<br />
This folder is part of a series of folders listed below:<br />
01.0 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> educati<strong>on</strong>al system of the Dutch Caribbean<br />
02.0 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> compulsory educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
03.0 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
03.1 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>primary</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
04.0 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> sec<strong>on</strong>dary educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
04.1 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> sec<strong>on</strong>dary educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
04.2 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> sec<strong>on</strong>dary educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong><br />
05.0 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> and vocati<strong>on</strong>al educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong> (WEB <strong>BES</strong>)<br />
05.1 <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Law</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> educati<strong>on</strong> and vocati<strong>on</strong>al educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>BES</strong> (WEB <strong>BES</strong>)<br />
06.0 Youth social opportunity program in the Dutch Carribbean<br />
07.0 Employment c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s educati<strong>on</strong> pers<strong>on</strong>nel<br />
08.0 School vacati<strong>on</strong>s in Dutch Caribbean<br />
School plan and annual report<br />
<str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> school board takes care of the quality of the educati<strong>on</strong> at the schools. This<br />
means that in any case the school board should execute the policy that has been<br />
established in the school plan (see articles 13 and 15). <str<strong>on</strong>g>The</str<strong>on</strong>g> executi<strong>on</strong> of the policy<br />
should be, that the legal tasks for educati<strong>on</strong> are realized, just like the own tasks for<br />
the school which the school board has included in the school plan.<br />
Explanati<strong>on</strong> of symbols <strong>on</strong> cover:<br />
School board<br />
School management<br />
Teacher<br />
Local government<br />
This folder is a publicati<strong>on</strong> of:<br />
<strong>Rijksdienst</strong> <strong>Caribisch</strong> <strong>Nederland</strong>, OCW<br />
department<br />
For more informati<strong>on</strong>, please c<strong>on</strong>sult our<br />
website:<br />
www.rijksdienstcn.com