Education, Appointment, and Remuneration of Teachers

Elementary Schools

Organization of elementary education.-Elementary education comprises general elementary education (gewoon lager onderwijs) offered regularly at a 7-year school; continuation education (vervolgonderwijs) offered for at least 2 years beyond the completed elementary school to boys and girls no longer of compulsory school age; extended elementary education (uitgebreid lager onderwijs), offered for at least 3 successive years beyond the first 6 years of the general elementary school; and special elementary education (literally "exceptional elementary education"-buitengewoon lager onderwijs), offered for children physically or mentally handicapped from participating to advantage in general elementary school instruction.

Since the secondary school in the Netherlands is based on completion of the first 6 years of the elementary school in that country, larger communities generally have one central 7-year elementary school and a number of 6-year schools offering only the first 6 years of elementary school instruction.

Consult the graph on page 105 for the relative place of the elementary schools in the educational system of the Netherlands.

General elementary education (gewoon lager onderwijs).-Some idea of general elementary education particularly with reference to the subjects of instruction and the relative amount of time devoted to each subject may be obtained from the following plan of studies for the elementary schools at The Hague which may be regarded as typical: Table 22.-Plan of studies for the first 6 years of the regular elementary school at The Hague

Hours in starred parentheses are optional; those in parentheses only are alternative lesser number of hours in the fifth and sixth years of schools detailed for special work]

Extended elementary education (uitgebreid lager onderwijs).-Schools for extended elementary education, generally called U. L. O. schoolsprior to 1920, M. U. L. O., or Mulo schools from the term meer uitgebreid lager onderwijs (more extended elementary education)1— offer a 3- or 4-year course to young people who wish to continue education beyond that of the elementary school along lines more practical than those offered at regular secondary schools. Completion of extended elementary education is marked by diploma A for pupils who have pursued a line of study stressing modern languages; by diploma B, for those who have been interested in mathematics and science. Either diploma entitles the holder to appointment to lower civil-service positions and to middle positions in industry and commerce; and also, particularly diploma B, to admission to various types of higher secondary naval and technical schools.

Practice with reference to issuing the diplomas differs. At The Hague the graduate of a 3-year school receives diploma A; the graduate of a 4-year school, diploma B. At the Public Extended Elementary School (Openbare U. L. O. School) at Hengelo which offers a 4-year course all pupils follow the same program of studies during the first 3 years and divide by choice into A and B divisions for the fourth year.

According to regulations governing extended elementary education the subjects of instruction include those of the regular elementary school and at least three of the subjects French, German, English, mathematics, and commercial science. To these may be added one or more of the subjects general history, agriculture, horticulture, and fine handwork for girls. A typical plan of studies for the 4-year extended elementary school follows:

Table 23.-Plan of studies for 4-year extended or higher elementary schools

1 Some Mulo schools have continued and offer a Mulo examination, but neither the schools nor the examination exist through law.

Education

The education of elementary school teachers in the Netherlands is divided in three parts of which the first comprises prescribed regulations; the second, present practice; and the third, new regulations under consideration. All agree as to the requirements for admission to the schools for the education of teachers, the subjects of instruction at these schools, and the ultimate aim. The schools may be public or private.

Prescribed regulations. According to the elementary education act of 1920, elementary school teachers are to receive their professional preparation at 5-year normal schools (kweekscholen) which may be coeducational or separate for men and women. The first 3 years are to be devoted mainly to theoretical instruction; the 2 final years, to practical work. After success in a written and oral examination at the close of the third year, the student (literally "pupil teacher"kweekling) becomes an aspirant teacher (adspirant onderwijzer) entitled to a State subsidy of 500 gulden a year for the remainder of the period of normal school study. Success in the examination which the aspirant teacher may take at the end of the fifth year is marked by a teacher's certificate (akte van bekwaamheid als onderwijzer).

The regulations provide also for a 4-year training school (Opleidings school) for women leading to a teacher's certificate A (akte van bekwaamheid A als onderwijzeres). The holder may take the admission examination to class IV mentioned in the preceding paragraph and after 2 years of study as aspirant teacher take the examination for teacher's certificate B (akte van bekwaamheid B als onderwijzeres). Present practice.-Owing to the economic depression and the cost of putting them into operation the regulations of the elementary education act of 1920, have not been enforced with respect to teacher education. In practice, according to supplementary regulations of August 23, 1933, the State normal school is regularly a 3-year school; in special instances with the consent of the Ministry of Education, a 4-year school. With the consent of the Minister a normal school may comprise two divisions: Division I or A forming the regular 3-year school for those who wish to prepare for the certificate of qualification as elementary school teacher (p. 96), and division II or B offering a 2-year course for those who already have this certificate and wish to attain the certificate of qualification as head master (p. 97).

Statistics. Following is a statistical summary of the normal schools for school year 1939-40:

Table 24.-Statistics of normal schools, teachers, and students in 1939-40

1 Excluding duplications, that is, teachers who worked at more than 1 school, the actual number of teachers was 988.

Organization. Through the inspector and chief inspector of elementary education of the respective districts in which they are located public and private normal schools are under the general supervision of the Ministry of Education. At the head of each State normal school (Rijkskweek-school) is a director (directeur); at a school exclusively for women, a directress (directrice). The director and other teachers (leraar) are appointed by the Minister of Education and must have at least the qualifications required for offering secondary school instruction in the subject or subjects they teach (p. 108).

The school year begins September 1 and comprises at least 40 weeks with 3 main vacations:

(a) December 24 to January 6, or if that comes on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday, the following Monday.

(b) The Wednesday before to the Monday after Easter.

(c) A summer vacation of 6 weeks and a day prior to the first Wednesday in September.

In the 3-year school or division I students pay a fee equivalent to two-thirds of that at a State higher burgher school (p. 106); in division II, 50 guilders a year.2

Requirements for admission.-For admission to class I of the 3-year school and class II of the 4-year normal school the applicant must:

1. Be at least 16 years of age on August 1 of the year in which admission is desired.

2. Present evidence from 2 licensed physicians that he is free from any physical or mental ailment that would hinder effective work as teacher.

One guilder or florin at mint par was worth 45.37 cents in United States money on April 1, 1940.