Schools to test all pupils at end of primary school

The test is being introduced because of concerns from the secondary education sector that the knowledge level of pupils coming from primary education is insufficient. Currently, all the school networks have their own tests, which are used by nearly all the schools on a voluntary basis. These tests will be used to develop the basis for a general, obligatory test.

School networks have expressed the fear that the test will become a kind of central exam. This could lead to the development of a ranking of “good” and “bad” schools and force schools to work towards the test instead of focusing on the whole learning process throughout the year.

N-VA party member Koen Daniëls, an education specialist, told De Standaard that the purpose is not to establish a ranking of schools. “But the results could be taken into account in the orientation of pupils towards secondary education,” he said.

Marc Van den Brande, head of the primary education department of the Flemish Catholic Education Secretariat, said, however, that the test was never meant to be a tool for the orientation towards secondary education.

Raymonda Verdyck, managing director of the GO! education network of schools, told deredactie.be that the test should not be developed as a final exam. “We feel that the whole evaluation of teachers during the school year is important,” she said.