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Recent research in America shows that children’s motor development improves when they start using a balance bike. It helps children learn to ride a regular bicycle, but also supports many other activities. In addition, it gives children confidence and leads to fewer unpleasant falls.
Around 1,500 schoolchildren in more than 50 classes across the Netherlands will receive an online nature lesson simultaneously on Friday, October 1. They will be seated in front of the digital whiteboard, ready to follow the lesson on edible mushrooms given live from the studio by teacher Mathijs ter Bork of IVN Nature Education.
Good ventilation is important for the healthy development of students. That is why it is good news that the Specific Grant for Ventilation in Schools (SUVIS) has reopened as of 1 October 2021. This grant is intended to improve the indoor environment of existing primary and secondary school buildings through ventilation. SUVIS is administered by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
By investing in physical activity from an early age, you lay the foundation for a healthy and active life. As a childcare organisation, you can promote children’s physical activity and, consequently, their development. It is important to establish this in policy. You can find out how to get started in the Childcare Physical Activity Policy, developed by the Knowledge Centre for Sport & Physical Activity.
The national Week Against Bullying began on Monday, 27 September. The week focuses on tackling bullying and working towards a socially safe school environment. After the turbulent year we have had, which had a major impact on group dynamics, this is especially important. Every year in September, the initiative’s founder, the School & Safety Foundation, organizes the Week Against Bullying for schools in primary, secondary and vocational education.
Bullying may only be able to be tackled by making it a criminal offense. This is what Children's Ombudswoman Margrite Kalverboer argues. She is presenting the launch of the bullying investigation, which will examine, among other things, the causes, impact and approach to bullying.
Is your school working on the Physical safety or Smoking and alcohol theme as part of Healthy School? Or is your school planning to do so? If so, a number of important changes apply to your school: as of 2022, Physical safety will no longer be a health theme within Healthy School. As of 2022, the Smoking and alcohol thematic certificate will no longer be awarded.
Rasmus (10, pictured) and Vivienne (11), both from Houten, are the winners in categories A (ages 6–10) and B (ages 11–14), respectively, of the Dutch Sidewalk Curb Championship. It was held on Sunday, 19 September, at the Netherlands Open Air Museum in Arnhem.
Are enough high-quality and suitable materials for food education available for special (primary) education? Is there room and a need to devote attention to food education? And what could potentially be done to better align needs and supply? The Louis Bolk Institute, together with Special Heroes, Jong Leren Eten and JOGG, wants to map this out.
After the first coronavirus lockdown in the spring of 2020, a larger proportion of primary school children (aged 4–12) in the Netherlands had poorer motor skills than children of that age before the lockdown. This is shown by research conducted by the Mulier Institute.
Teachers at schools often opt for scare-based drug prevention education featuring a former addict, police officer, or bereaved relative of a young person who died as a result of a drug-related incident. They choose an approach that evokes intense emotions in students because “otherwise it won’t get through to them.” A logical thought, write Simone Onrust (Project Leader Helder op School) and Daphne Visser (Scientific Researcher Helder op School) in their blog, but unfortunately this often turns out differently in practice.
Young people are too positive about their own digital skills. This is shown by research commissioned by the KB, the national library of the Netherlands. Almost half (47%) of young people overestimate their own level. Less digitally skilled young people are also less able to recognize unsafe online behavior and are skeptical about what they can learn from their parents and teachers. Unjustifiably so, as it turns out, because these conversation partners actually help to increase young people’s digital skills.
De Verwondering Primary School in Almere has been nominated for the prestigious European Green Cities Award 2021. ORGA Architect was responsible for the design. The Netherlands is entering this project because of the green aspects in and around the building. The location of the new school in a densely built-up area makes this an extra achievement. “There is not always enough space for a large, green schoolyard. By highlighting this project, we want to show that a pleasant, green living environment is achievable in virtually any location,” says the organisation.
Many primary school teachers would like to work in the vegetable garden with their class, but have no opportunity to do so. This is shown by the School Gardens Survey, conducted by DUO Onderwijsonderzoek on behalf of the School Gardens Alliance. Currently, only one in five teachers has a vegetable garden with their class, while 85 percent indicate that they would definitely or possibly like to garden if good opportunities were available.
Undermining and organised crime are no longer distant problems. Criminals recruit young people to deal drugs, launder money or deliver packages. This does not only happen outside school hours; it also enters the classroom. There are schools that have had to deal with students dealing drugs in class or bringing a prohibited weapon to school. How can you protect the socially safe school climate against unsafe influences and temptations? The Stichting School & Veiligheid is organising a webinar on this topic.
Schools and/or school boards that want to know whether their school qualifies for the grant for impetus and innovation in physical education can complete the KVLO quick scan.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, a Healthy School Canteen is the most normal thing in the world. To emphasize this message, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre will launch the new season on 12 October at 3:00 p.m. with a free online talk show. During the talk show, among other things, the new School Canteen Scale and its accompanying collection board will be unveiled.
Based on her experience and knowledge, Cora Merkx noticed that today’s toddlers are not being optimally supported in their development and health. She felt the need to bring about change. This is how Peuterbeweging came into being. On 2 September, she will launch the website peuterbeweging.nl. On 8 October, she will launch the accompanying method and book. Both the book and the teaching method are published by Glos Educatief. The illustrations are by Nina Merkx.
From 30 August, at the start of the new school year, all parents of children between the ages of 3.9 and 12 can download the brochure ‘No junk in your lunchbox’ or obtain it from the child health clinic, supermarkets, schools and the library. The brochure, written by Tilly de Jong of Glos Educatief, is packed with inspiration for healthy food and drinks during the school day and was created through a collaboration between GGDzhz, JOGG Zuid-Holland Zuid, Jong JGZ and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre.
In the Frisian twin village of Akkrum-Nes, residents are concerned about the growing alienation from nature and the disappearance of greenery in the surrounding area. That is why, in this project, villagers, a farmer, schools, nature organisations, a family home and the municipality are working together to bring people closer to nature again.
Over the past few years, six municipalities have become acquainted with a revolutionary way of preventing young people from smoking, using drugs or drinking (too much): the Icelandic prevention model. They are calling on other municipalities to learn more about it too, says Lian Smeets, who supported the municipalities, in the blog below.
Between 1 and 30 September, all schools in primary, secondary and vocational education can register for the Jong Leren Eten incentive grant. With this grant, schools can do gardening, cook or organise an excursion related to nutrition. A maximum amount of €2,000 is available per school location.
How can you, as a teacher, take preventive action to support the social-emotional development and well-being of your students? To this end, Pharos, together with teachers, Gezonde Generatie and the Trimbos Institute, developed a guide with practical tools. The guide is suitable for both primary and secondary education.
What is the positive impact of green schoolyards on children’s development, the quality of education, the climate resilience of the surrounding area and biodiversity? Jolanda Maas and Nicole van den Bogerd, researchers in the Clinical Psychology section at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, describe this in the white paper ‘The value of a nature-rich, healthy outdoor space around schools’.
From the 2023–2024 school year, schools are legally required to offer at least two physical education lessons (two 45-minute lessons), taught by a qualified specialist teacher. At present, by no means every school meets this requirement. The government therefore wants to work with the KVLO, the PO-Raad, ALO Nederland and the Association of Sports and Municipalities to support schools in providing physical education, as well as in encouraging children to exercise throughout the day.
After a long summer holiday, the first schools will open their doors again on Monday, 23 August. In practice, this means more traffic congestion and, unfortunately, generally also a peak in accidents involving schoolchildren cycling to school. To reduce the number of accidents during this period, Veilig Verkeer Nederland (VVN) is expanding its activities around its schoolchildren’s campaign this year. In addition to banners and posters in the streetscape bearing the text ‘Our schools have started again’, the same message will also appear on the navigation screens of hundreds of thousands of motorists this year. And there is a special poem.
Defiant and aggressive behavior occurs wherever people come together in groups. So it also occurs at school and in the classroom. To ensure a socially safe school climate, it is therefore important to reduce or try to prevent aggressive behavior by reducing the triggers of aggression. The School & Safety Foundation has compiled an overview. The texts below concern primary education.
Climate change is an unprecedentedly major problem and is caused by humans. This is stated in the IPCC climate report published at the beginning of August. Young people are also seeing the news coverage about climate change. They are very concerned about climate change and what it means for their future. Education professionals must also take these concerns among young people into account.
Research shows that children who get enough exercise and eat and drink healthily feel better. We also know how important a healthy lifestyle is for a child's development and academic performance. So there are plenty of reasons to pay attention to this at school. The PO Council has compiled a number of key points.
Is an insect your friend or your foe? Most people find insects rather scary. But they are also very useful! But useful to whom, exactly? And can we make use of insects in our own gardens or in agriculture? The Science Hub of Wageningen University (WKWU), together with scientists, teachers and teacher-training students, has developed a lesson kit on the theme of insects.