From the end of this school year, first-year students in secondary schools in Flanders who fail their courses will be made to repeat a year. Normally, this process only enters into force from the second year.
Until now, not all secondary schools in Flanders gave their first-year pupils an orientation attestation stating whether they passed (A-certificate), have to change their study programme (B-certificate) or have to repeat a year (C-certificate). Some schools reasoned that more time was needed before such an evaluation can be made.
However, Flemish Education Minister Ben Weyts announced that this will change starting this school year, meaning all first-year secondary school pupils in the A stream — those who graduated from primary school — will receive a full-fledged evaluation, putting an end to the so-called "grade evaluation" which postponed handing out B or C certificates.
"Exams should really count. It is wrong to postpone the final assessment for too long," said Weyts. "Grade evaluations gave pupils the impression that they could pass to their second year, no matter what, meaning it wouldn't matter so much whether they do well or not."
Timely advice, or time to orient?
Weyts argued that it is important that young people enter the right study programme as soon as possible at the start of secondary school. "A long period in the wrong discipline is often accompanied by sadness and school fatigue," he said, adding that "good guidance and timely study advice can prevent a lot of frustration and distress."
However, the Education Association of Cities and Municipalities (OVSG), which pointed out that every school has its evaluation policy, said that waiting to hand out certificates is a good thing to lower the threshold from primary to secondary education.
"This way, we can orient students as well as possible and give them every chance of a successful school career," said general director Walentina Cools.
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The umbrella organisation of Catholic schools in Flanders (Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen) stated that the system of grade evaluation was already largely eradicated from its schools.
