Home Languages Now Allowed in Dutch Schools

Starting this school year, exclusive Dutch-language speaking in schools is a thing of the past. Schools must now accommodate the language a student speaks at home - examples include Turkish, Moroccan, and Spanish, as well as regional languages. The home language is actually believed to help students learn Dutch better. However, not everyone embraces this new educational goal. About a quarter of Dutch people over 15 speak a different language at home. The Education Council thinks using the home language benefits not just Dutch learning but also student confidence and engagement. Language expert Joanneke Prenger says scientific research has long shown efficiently using the home language to become language proficient. In practice, when students struggle with difficult material, they can discuss in their home language or prepare in that language - they understand the class material better. Some schools, like one in Hengelo, pay significant attention to Twents. The home language was previously more used in class when the government assumed guest workers would eventually return home. Over the past decades the focus shifted strongly to Dutch, with the idea that home language attention would hinder Dutch learning. There are major misconceptions about the home language, says Prenger - once advised parents to speak primarily Dutch, but now we say speak the language you best master. From your best-mastered language, you provide students a good, rich language base to build all world languages. Yet there is also resistance. Dutch teacher Thomas Hendriks in an Amsterdam integration class: an extra year between primary and secondary for students with language delays - this new advice tires him. He feels it keeps being pushed as a fresh idea he must implement, coming across as a gimmick, a trend. Meanwhile the group of youths leaving school illiterate keeps growing. For decades there have been major concerns about Dutch students' basic skills, especially in language. Around 2012 Netherlands was internationally seen as a reading leader, but levels have sharply declined since. The Basisvaardigheden Masterplan with hundreds of millions for new methods didn't have the desired effect. Now language teaching is top priority - language becomes part of all school subjects. When it comes to emotions, speaking in the home language naturally works, says Hendriks - but you don't know what they're discussing. Recently with Moroccan boys he had a conversation about him, not the subject. Until 2031 schools have time to process all new core goals - for now they may handle it themselves.