The Netherlands is reasonably ahead in terms of innovation and technology. To ensure that we maintain that progressive position, a number of technological companies, including VNO-NCW, FME, Koninklijke Metaalunie, UNETO-VNI, Bouwend Nederland and MKB-Nederland have joined forces.
Innovative nature
The cooperating parties, united in the so-called Jet-Net Netherlands, want more attention to education in particular. They have sent a letter about this to the current cabinet informateur, Gerrit Zalm. The participating parties consider education an important link to maintaining the innovative character of the Netherlands. In doing so, they set their sights on revising the curriculum. "Only education that moves with and responds to changes can adequately prepare young people for the future labour market. Revision of the curriculum for primary education is therefore very welcome."
Jet-Net argues that in today's industrial world, technological innovations are succeeding each other faster and faster, and with that, the demands placed on business are also changing. this applies not only to large companies and SMEs but also to the people working in them. Education must be the link to sufficient skilled, technically and digitally proficient employees.
Any sector
"As part of a revised curriculum, we particularly want to emphasise the importance of developing technical and digital skills. We live in a world where technical and digital developments permeate every sector and claim a place everywhere. So the question should not be where in the curriculum technology has a place, as stated in the 'Parliamentary letter on follow-up curriculum review primary and secondary education', but how it has a place óveral."
Industry has been investing in cooperation with education through Jet-Net for 15 years. Jet-Net uses the experience and knowledge from this period to shape cooperation effectively and give students the context of the business world already during their school career. Jet-Net states that, partly due to the cooperation with hundreds of schools and teachers, the number of pupils choosing a STEM profile has increased enormously. "We are proud of this collaboration and would like to continue working together in the future to keep innovating our STEM education and to maintain the developments of recent years and grow even further where necessary. Our knowledge and experience can be used to shape the curriculum revision, with sufficient attention to technology and digital skills. In addition to the important input of teachers and other education stakeholders, the input of the business community should not be missing when formulating what students should know and be able to do."
By: Kelly Bakker
