On Tuesday, the Eindhoven-based MBO schools SintLucas and Summa College traveled to The Hague with other institutions in secondary vocational education. There, they presented a petition to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer) to achieve equal recognition compared to higher education.
In the petition, the MBO schools call for change. They argue that students are selected too early based on their current knowledge. According to the schools, this selection does not aim to offer an education that matches students’ talents. They believe that practical talent, which is developed within MBO, should also be acknowledged and valued equally.
Stigma
“The current education system leads to inequality and stigmatization because it selects too early and focuses solely on cognitive skills,” says Ruud Rabelink from SintLucas. He argues that those who attend higher professional education (HBO) or university receive more years of education and are given more opportunities than MBO students. Often, MBO students are not (fully) allowed to participate in student life and have fewer opportunities for personal development, SintLucas in Eindhoven emphasizes.
Summa College adds that MBO is not viewed as a desirable level of education but rather as a level for young people who are not ‘good enough’ for HAVO, VWO, HBO, or university. “MBO students often feel that their talents and skills are not sufficiently recognized or acknowledged,” says Summa student Zoé Rijnders, who represents her school in the fight for more opportunities for MBO peers.
Action Plan
In June 2024, the municipality of Eindhoven introduced an action plan highlighting the importance of MBO education. A budget of €250,000 was allocated for the initiative.
The plan’s goal is to ensure that Eindhoven MBO students feel like full-fledged students and gain a strong position in the labor market. The action plan centers around equal status for MBO students in education, student life, and society. As part of the initiative, MBO students were later welcomed to the city’s introduction festival for new students, and the first MBO students received a sports pass.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Ayşenur Kuran
