Minister Smith visited Ruby Labega School during its “TaalUnie” Dutch assessment for Group 8 pupils.
PHILIPSBURG–All Group Eight pupils in public and subsidised schools received their certificates for Dutch as a Foreign Language assessment at the closing of the school year recently.
The assessment was a pilot project commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport as part of the “TaalUnie” agreement.
The results of the pilot project will be evaluated by the Examinations Division and Education Minister Wycliffe Smith will be presented with a plan of action.
The objective of the TaalUnie agreement is for TaalUnie to provide assistance to all Ministries of Education within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Its aim is improving the level of knowledge of the Dutch Language.
TaalUnie, a policy organisation for Dutch language in the Netherlands and Flanders, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport in St. Maarten, worked with schools and school boards to facilitate these assessments. The assessment was just one activity that is part of a broader package.
The Group 8 pupils in the primary schools sat the assessments for Dutch as a Foreign Language in May and June 2019, and received certificates indicating their proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and comprehension (writing).
The assessment is especially for foreign language learners, which meets the needs of a majority of St. Maarten’s children because they do not have Dutch as their first language. This assessment is based on what they are capable of instead of what they have not mastered. Therefore, the assessment works with “can-do statements” and pupils cannot fail.
This is based on the framework for learning a foreign language, the Common European Framework of References (CEFR). The six levels of competence within the CEFR range from A1 (Beginners) to C2 (Proficiency).
“The Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, in particular, the Division for Educational Innovation (DEI) takes this opportunity to thank all parties involved, with a special thanks to the Dutch language instructors in the primary schools, who followed the trainings provided, and their pupils who made this assessment possible.
“The results attained will be used to provide input to further improve and enhance the development of pupils’ performance for the Dutch language,” said Smith on Wednesday.
“The pilot project was communicated to all school boards as well as the school managers prior to the accessors training. Schools managers were asked to share this information with their staff, namely the Dutch language instructors at the English schools and class teachers at the Dutch schools.
“The dates for the testing were coordinated with the DEI team, based on correspondence from the school boards. All stakeholders were involved in the process and we are grateful for their participation,” said Division for Educational Innovation head Oralie Boirard.
All accessors were provided the opportunity to evaluate the project via an online link. The Ministry will organise an evaluation meeting at the beginning of the new school year to ensure that all stakeholders have the opportunity to share their experiences.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/89439-group-8-pupils-receive-their-dutch-certificates-as-assessment-looms
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