This education system rocks... maybe... sometimes?

On Tuesday afternoon we took a little field trip to a local Christian "high school" in Zwolle. In case you weren't aware of this already, their education system is a lot different than ours. Or is it? There are three levels: primary school, high school, then college (similar to ours). The main difference is the way it is split up. When students are in high school they are split into tracks, and these tracks are geared toward their abilities/interests as learners. In the states, we have similar things, but not every school is able to cater to each students interests and abilities. Here, since all schools, public and private, are funded by the government, they can. This sounds nice, right?
Well, not when you hear it from a narrow-minded old-school Canadian English teacher who only focuses on the negatives of the education systems he is not a part of. Dutch schools, according to this man, are superior to all other educational institutes because (I quote) ALL Dutch students love school. OK, sir, generalizations are ALWAYS wrong (haha). Had he stopped at this statement, I would have been fine. Obviously he didn't. He continued to tell us exactly why these students are so happy: because their learning needs are being met by the schools pushing them to do the track that is "right for them." Regardless if a student desires to be a mechanic or not, if the school sees that as the best fit, that's where they will go. Sure, they can try to be a teacher or engineer, but ultimately, they will fail in that and end up in the mechanic branch anyways. This is sparing them from failure, teachers from frustration, and other students from being held back/frustrated as well.
OK, that's not called education. First of all, it is the teacher's responsibility to help students discover what they're good at/career paths, NOT force them into one. Secondly, teaching shouldn't be about convenience for the teacher. If you have students who are bored and not learning, you don't just kick them out of that class or level; you work with them. You differentiate your teaching. What a horrible philosophy about teaching. Nothing is more frustrating than to hear someone who is respected and noted as a "great" educator say things that are so ridiculous, ignorant, and quite frankly irresponsible as a teacher. Maybe that's a bit harsh, but he really, really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not a fan of taking the easy way out in anything, especially in teaching. If I wanted an easy job in life, I'd sign up for something else. Teaching is not going to be easy. I'm going to be frustrated with students who don't understand or who don't apply themselves, but I can't just pass the blame on them or the responsibility on another teacher. It's part of the job description, and if you don't like it, go be a plummer or something.
Alright, I might be being a tad bit bias, but this man really put my guard up and got me thinking: is this really a system I could see myself teaching in? They say they are all about the individual, but this dictating what track students are "capable" of doesn't sound like enhancing the individual or advancing the education of students at all. To me it sounds like hog wash and like schools are all about what's most convenient for the teachers. I don't like it. No thanks; send me back to good old 'Merica, please!
Today (Wednesday) I asked a few of the Dutch buddies who are education majors at the GH to talk with me about their education track to become teachers/the education system in general. After much deliberation and bribing (a cup of coffee/hot chocolate and the threat of a muffin being thrown at them if they refuse to meet with me), the gentlemen agreed to educate me on their education. So I asked a few general questions: Why do you want to teach? What do you want to teach? What are your life ambitions? How many credits do you have? Do you like how much internship you do?  And so on and so forth.
You'd think the answer to the first question would be pretty easy, but they seemed shocked that I asked them. Maybe they didn't think I was being serious, but alas, they did answer me. They agreed they both liked the idea of interacting with students and that it's different every day. Not a bad reason, but isn't there more to teaching? Yes. Yes, there is.
I then told the guys what I had gathered from the teacher on Tuesday afternoon. They said, "no, he is not being completely fair to the system." According to them, the teachers, parents, students, and some sort of entrance test to indicate the student's level together decide what track the student will enter. So, if a student doesn't score very high but the teachers and parents think the student can achieve at the next level, they can enter that level. They are given a few chances (not sure the specifics here), but if they can't keep up, they meet with the student and discuss different options. This is more acceptable.
Here's something interesting. Earlier I had a discussion with one of the host dads about special education, something very dear to my heart after working at Hope Haven and with my favorite 7th grader. Here they have special schools for students with disabilities. As of right now, schools are able to turn down students with disabilities. However, some schools are working on integrating special  needs into their schools. Ultimately the goal is to have this in every school, so that students/teachers can choose if they want their students to be in whichever school they see most fitting for their students needs. I asked the guys what they thought of this-- not the hugest fans. They said something along the lines of this being a lot of work for teachers and that the teachers in the special schools are trained specifically to help these students, and ultimately this is better for them. I disagree. 1) Life doesn't ship disabled people to a different country, and education should give students-- ALL students-- opportunities that give them skills they'll need in the real world. 2) Teaching is not about "ease." It's about teaching, regardless of the situation or the students. I agree, special ed teachers have the resources and skills that are most fitting, but in the states, that is why we have resource rooms, etc.

Because I need to get to bed to get some sleep before my internship in the morning, I'll summarize. At the end of my little interview session I came to this conclusion: they have a good system here, but like everywhere, it could use some work. The idea of helping students prepare for their career choice earlier is a wonderful idea and probably extremely helpful. The idea of separate tracks for varied learning abilities is amazing and I wish my high school would have had the funds for that. The idea of separating special needs students from the rest of the learners still irks me, but I am glad they are working to incorporate special education into every school. Really, it's a blessing guys. Working with people with disabilities will change your life. Yeah, it's frustrating at times, but the rewards are so worth it. I love that these guys get so much time in the classroom as part of their education program; I'm jealous of that. All in all, I think I am a fan of this system, but it's something that will take a lot of getting used to, and something that I still have a lot of questions about. I'm not as willing to say theirs is far better than American schools, but I will give them this: I think they have more of the right idea than us. Can I change that? No. Does this mean I never want to teach in American schools? No. I'm all for the challenge. Who knows, maybe I can bring some of the Dutch school system back with me and show the American teachers exactly what we're missing. One can only dream.

(Side note-- if you have more questions about the Dutch system/think I misunderstood it, please don't reprimand me. I am learning here still. Consult either Anne-Geert, Tom, or Gerald. :))

DAG!