The new continuous learning pathways were recently presented to the primary schools on St. Eustatius. The learnings pathways are for the subjects Arithmetic, Mathematics, English and Dutch as a foreign language. They were developed by work groups, comprising teachers of the schools concerned. For over a year the work groups have worked on the learning pathways under the leadership of Corine Vis of the SLO (Nationaal Expertisecentrum Leerplanontwikkeling; Netherlands Institute for Curriculum Development).
The learning pathways together form the guiding principle with which the teachers teach the students the knowledge and skills which they need to successfully make the transition to secondary school. New learning pathways were required due to the transition to English as the instruction language since the start of this school year. In order to ensure that the learning pathways dovetail with the curriculum which the pupils are taught before and following primary school, the work groups comprised teachers from both primary and secondary education, supplemented with educators from the children’s day care centre. Experts of the Dutch Language Union [Nederlandse Taalunie] also participated in the work group for Dutch as a foreign language.
Transition coordinator Angela Dekker, who directs the transition to English as instruction language on the instructions of the Ministry of OCW (Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap; Ministry of Education, Culture and Science), is pleased with this milestone. “First of all I am proud that these learning pathways have been developed with the use of local expertise. Furthermore by formalising these learning pathways we have set a standard which teachers can use in the years to come.”