University and Hogeschool jointly work on improving primary education

Utrecht offers students the possibility of simultaneously obtaining their undergraduate degree in Education and their primary school teaching qualification. The four-year Academic Primary School Teacher Training is a unique initiative of Utrecht University and Hogeschool Utrecht. This joint teaching concept meets the growing political and social need to improve the qualifications of primary school teachers. Both secondary school students and primary schools are enthusiastic about this new programme.

The combination of an academic and a higher proferssional education study offers students the opportunity of acquiring both academic and practical knowledge. Graduates will be fully fledged primary school teachers, who possess additional theoretical, research and academic skills compared to their colleagues having only a higher professional education degree. This academic primary school teacher training is the only one of its kind in the Netherlands.

It's our problem too

In her New Year's speech, President of the Executive Board of Utrecht University Yvonne van Rooy emphasised that it is high time to actually do something to improve the quality of Dutch primary education. “Proper primary education is no longer a matter of course, given the impending teacher deficit and signals relating to the decreased quality of primary school teaching. This should not be considered as the exclusive problem of primary schools, it is also our problem. We are responsible for taking action and actively contributing to solutions. There are too few academically trained teachers.” Geri Bonhof, President of the Executive Board of Hogeschool Utrecht, fully agrees: “This new academic teacher training programme meets the needs of secondary school students who wish to become a primary school teacher and at the same time are eager to pursue an academic study. They will become a most valuable asset in primary schools.”

Commission report

The joint initiative of Utrecht University and Hogeschool Utrecht fits in with the recommendations in the LeerKracht! report which was drawn up by the Commissie Leraren (Teachers Commission) led by President of the Social and Economic Council Alexander Rinnooy Kan. The Commissie Leraren was established by Minister of Education Ronald Plasterk to come up with solutions for the impending deficit of high-quality teachers.

Teaching programme

Students obtain two undergraduate degrees. Both studies are interwoven to such an extent that students actually take one programme. The degree programme takes four years and will start in September 2008. Admission is open to students having finished their vwo (pre-university education) and students having finished their first year of the regular teacher training school (PABO), although the latter have to undergo an assessment due to the demanding nature of the new programme.