The Northern Educational Alliance

a strong basis for education together

The foundational education in the Northern Netherlands is at a crossroads. Primary schools, secondary schools, special education, and vocational education: all have to do with questions surrounding the motivation of students, teacher shortages, and excellent support of students needing care, which creates a specific challenge for us. Will all students be able to go to good schools in the neighbourhood in the future? The Noordelijke Educatieve Alliantie (Northern Educational Alliance, NEA) which is part of the Bestuursakkoord Flexibilisering Lerarenopleidingen (Government Agreement for more Flexible Teacher Training Programmes) is looking for solutions.

Tackling unequal opportunities

The contraction in the region is putting the quality of education under serious pressure in some places, which could further increase the already existing inequality of opportunity among students. Inequality between the city and the countryside, between different neighbourhoods in the city; the location of your home or your school has a direct impact on your future.

“Een unieke kans om over onze eigen schaduw heen te stappen en samen aan de slag te gaan.”

What do we do to tackle these issues? Solutions cannot be found in existing structures, in which schools are forced to compete for smaller numbers of pupils, students, and teachers. At the same time this situation offers a unique opportunity: to look beyond our own interests alone and join force with others.

First step

The Northern teacher training programmes are going ahead and taking the first step. They are uniting as the Northern Educational Alliance (NEA), a collaborative effort that joins forces in the fields of training, professionalization and research. Together with schools, the NEA is looking for new ways of boosting education. The NEA is not just a project, it is also an invitation to anyone who wishes to help support education in the Northern Netherlands.

The NEA focuses on six themes:

  • Eén plek met alle informatie over de drie lerarenopleidingen: Schoolplein Noord.
  • Een flexibel traject voor iedereen die voor de klas wil en kan.
  • Een aparte opleidingsschool om de begeleiding van – en kennis over – academisch geschoolde leerkrachten te versterken.
  • Een stevige begeleiding van startende docenten om uitval te voorkomen.
  • Een netwerk voor taalcoördinatoren gericht op taalvaardigheid; een goede manier om kansenongelijkheid tegen te gaan.
  • Eén educatieve onderzoeksagenda voor de regio.