Learning by connecting people Tom Visser CINOP, the Netherlands February 2010 Education Policy Workshop Kiev

Reasons and drivers for restructuring in the eighties revitalisation of economy employers’ advice development of structures versus development of content Buzz-words: enabling legislation, deregulation, autonomy, decentralisation, privatisation, efficiency, free-market

Vocational Education and Training supply more coherence More prospects for short courses for the benefit of adults Development of regional VET Colleges as main purveyor of labour force to the labour market Increase accessibility of VET to all Basic principles to come to merging institutes

First step in legalisation SVM (sector-forming VET) operation act Integration of sector-schools in one institute Reduction from 350 to 143 schools in the period 1986 – 1991

Build up to second step in legalisation Outline nota Regional Training Centres (ROC’s), Ministry of Education, 1992 Introduction of combining VET and Adult Education Application of “New Public Management” mechanisms: change in budget framework (lump sum), in accountability, increase in scale, contract relationship between Ministry and ROC’s

Main changes in management and governance principles Incentives towards optimising of performance and preventing inefficiency Increase internal quality control External control training by social partners Accountability to both the Ministry (vertical) and the regional community (horizontal) Training more output than input oriented

WEB Act 1996 VET and adult education in one act Integration of former acts in the new act Further merging: from 143 schools to 70 institutes 20% budget output related Central Register VET (CREBO) accessible for private/commercial institutes 30% of VET providers are private companies (2005) Compulsory quality control system and public reporting More a process of scale broadening than increasing in scale

3 domains of qualifications integrated in the new Act Vocational qualifications Up streaming qualifications Academic and Citizenship qualifications

Primary education (8) Adult Education VMBO (4) Pre- vocational education HAVO (5) General secondary education VWO (6) Pre- university education MBO (1-4) Secondary vocational education HBO (4) Higher vocational education University Education (4)

Merging process to Regional Colleges 2 options in the WEB act: 1.Institutionally merged institute, meaning one institute, one authority, one board of directors, one central policy, one representative advisory board (current situation for all ROC’s) 2.Administratively merged institute, a group of more autonomous institutes with one board and one administration The result of the merging process was a coincidence and was not fully steered by the authorities No obligation of Regional Advisory Bodies by law, but in all ROC’s self-imposed (in all kinds of forms)

Role of enterprises in VET Financial contribution by offering placements for VET students: 1,7 billion euro (working time and money) in 2006 Average costs for one apprenticeship student for a company: euro per year Full-time student as a trainee: euro per year Colo

Establishment of national branch- specific expertise centres Legal tasks: Maintenance of the qualification structure Improvement of practical training Accreditation of companies involved in practical training of students

Sectoral expertise centres in the Netherlands: the Dutch collection….

Jobs and Functions Job Profiles Qualification Profiles Curricula EducationStudents Qualifications structure  Educational structure VET-law WHAT TO LEARN Knowlegde centres each sector HOW TO LEARN Regional training centres

Educ. institutions (development of curricula based on qualifications) Social partners (job profiles) Centres of expertise (qualification profiles) Minister of Education (approval) Which VET programmes are funded? Inspection Dialogue social- and educational partners Development of the qualification structure

VET sector in the Netherlands in students full time: , part time: institutions 1200 Courses average number of students per institute: 8000

Numbers of VET students in the Netherlands (x1000) total VET 437,9474,1478,6505,7521,2526,6 students › 23 year 84,088,4100,9107,5 non-western foreigners 93,997,7101,4102,3 Apprentice ship 142,9142,6133,1140, full time 294,9331,4345,6355,4349,7342,5 external candidates 9,511,512,1

Reflections: Management Difference of opinions about further development 1.Back to more government intervention because further free market construction is a disaster 2.More business-like fashion instead of the school custom way of organisation

Reflections: Teachers Labour satisfaction of TVET teachers is the lowest Discontent with the way their college is managed Less associated with new development of education Lack of professional standards for VET teachers Objections against the practice of too easily re- arranging the teachers in the college: assigning them other tasks, other students, other content

Reflections: Students Student organisation JOB (Jongeren Organisatie Beroepsonderwijs) Student actions against low influence of students on hour-standards and competence based learning

Report of parliamentary commission - innovation of education in the nineties (2008) Shortcomings in problem analysis Too many risks taken concerning educationally weak students Tunnel vision of ministers Low influence of teachers, parents and students Policy choices focus too much on the financial issues Didactical innovations suggested by the government experienced as compulsory Permanent changes in the regulations Varying effects of innovations on results Poor foundations of new learning methods Implementation of new methods is risky Further merging of schools on hold

Interviews with key-persons Image problem of VET colleges: falling standards because of one college for all levels in combination with access for all Large scale effects may cause disengagement of students Negative publicity about competence based learning methods Mismanagement in colleges in reference to students

Remarks International comparison - VET system in the Netherlands: hybrid of traditional models of VET: a mix of Anglo-Saxon model (market oriented model, ‘community colleges’ as principle) Rheinlander model (national level quality standards for vocations and a dual educational system) French model (bureaucratic model, with centralistic steering by the government)

Remark: the Netherlands Education Council The Netherlands is one of the few countries which combines in one system of Regional VET College the following aspects: 1.Different labour market sectors 2.Diversity in learning pathways 3.Participation of both young and adult students 4.Heterogeneity of the students in terms of their talent 5.Access for all 6.Formal pathways to higher education

Remark: Internationally seen The Netherlands VET-model is considered as an advanced system well prepared for huge changes in the society: 1.Globalisation 2.Knowledge and service based society 3.ICT

Remark: Internationally seen International recognition of characteristics of the Netherlands system as: 1.National qualification framework in combination with relatively independent educational institutes 2.Flexibility of learning pathways 3.Relatively independent of the economic cycle (part- time and full time routes as communicating vessels ) 4.Access for all on regional/local level

Feedback and findings Public-private fusion within a public framework Merging process and organisational change dominant in first 10 years Lag in reform of curriculum and methods Huge entry in VET institutions of (children of) new comers in Dutch society in the nineties High involvement of industry and companies

Thank you for your attention. Tom Visser Tel