On Monday 16 January, education minister Dennis Wiersma visited the municipality of Drimmelen, the education boards in the municipality and childcare organization Kibeo. This gave Wiersma a special insight into the kitchen of childcare, primary and secondary education, in which the intensive cooperation between these parties was central. “Children of all ages walk in through the same school door thanks to the cooperation in these village centres. Many things that you take for granted here are not yet known at policy level in The Hague. You have shown them with beautiful examples.”
During a varied program, Wiersma was updated by people from the field about cooperation within the municipality in the field of childcare, education and youth, the use of resources from the National Education Program (NPO), Preschool Education (VE) and the Educational Disadvantages Policy ( OAB) and about the successes and challenges in forming an Integral Child Center and continuous learning pathways for 0-16 years.
Equal opportunities for every child
An active program has been put together based on the shared social goal of childcare Kibeo, the municipality of Drimmelen, education boards SKOD, OBO, de Waarden, the Center for Youth and Family and the Dongemond college. The idea: every child deserves every opportunity for a full education and a good future. The educational partners use the NPO, VE and OAB resources to provide extra support to children who need it in their personal development and educational training. Alderman Jürgen Vissers looks back with satisfaction on the visit: “The good cooperation in the field is, among other things, the result of constructive consultation with each other, which is about content and less about stones or money. This helps us to deal creatively with the resources we receive from the government and to spend them as effectively as possible. That is the power of having short lines of communication with each other, where the interests of the child come first.”
Smooth transition between reception and education
At an Integral Child Center, children learn, play, develop and meet each other under one roof. Here the whole team works from one vision. For the children, this means an extensive range of activities and a smooth transition between childcare and education. Just like the transition from baby group to toddler group to primary school, the transition from primary to secondary education is also an important link. The education partners in the municipality work closely together on this. Due to the close cooperation between day care and school, the development of children is followed in a continuous line. This makes it clear what the children's talents are and where children may need extra attention. “The branch manager and internal supervisor of Kibeo, together with the school director and the care coordinator of the primary school, map out which children need extra support. Together we ensure that every child has an optimal start at school,” says Eveline Bos, director of Brabant Kibeo.
A look in the kitchen
Wiersma talked to employees and was updated at various locations about the cooperation between childcare, primary and secondary education within the municipality of Drimmelen. The morning started at primary school de Grienden in Lage Zwaluwe and the conversation continued at the language class of Kindcentrum JIJ in Terheijden. After a meeting with the student council of primary school De Stuifhoek in Made, the educational morning was actively concluded. Students Care and Welfare framework 3 of the Dongemond college prepared a delicious lunch together with Wiersma, so that he could literally take a look behind the scenes.
