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The Trimbos Institute and the Netherlands Youth Institute have prepared an interim evaluation of the policy-forming learning programme for addressing substance use among young people according to the Icelandic prevention model. In this interim evaluation, the organisations describe discussions held with (national) organisations, municipalities participating in the learning programme and participating schools.
Children aged 0–18 are moving less and less well nowadays. That is why the Knowledge Centre for Sport & Physical Activity has compiled the white paper Skilled in movement from an early age. The white paper is aimed at professionals who want to increase the quality of and enjoyment in sport and physical activity among children and young people aged 0–18.
On Wednesday, 23 September 2020, the Dutch drinking water companies are jointly organising National Tap Water Day. They invite all primary schools and out-of-school care centres to focus attention on tap water as a sustainable and healthy thirst quencher on this day.
It is good that 44 professors, board chairs and medical professionals are calling for a healthier lifestyle and prevention to be embedded in education, but the focus should not be too much on lessons. That is what Paul van der Velpen, Director of Public Health for Gelderland-Midden, says in a response. According to him, a healthy school environment should also—and above all—be provided.
From school and sports club to home: for young people, it is important that they feel protected from violence, intimidation, exclusion and other forms of transgressive behavior. The publication by the Netherlands Youth Institute, ‘Social safety is everyone’s responsibility. Cooperation on safety issues between schools and municipal partners’, addresses this protection.
Structural attention to outdoor play is lacking in national and municipal policy. Outdoor play has been under pressure in recent years. Traffic congestion, urbanisation and insufficient play space restrict children in their desire to play outdoors. This is evident from an exploratory study by the Mulier Institute into current policy on outdoor play in the Netherlands and Europe. The study was conducted as part of the National Sports Agreement, which aims to promote sufficient physical activity and good movement skills among young people.
The real solution to rising healthcare costs does not lie in healthcare, but in education. A healthier lifestyle can prevent many health problems, and prevention should therefore be embedded in education. That is what is argued in an opinion piece in Het Financieele Dagblad, signed by 44 professors, CEOs and physicians.
More screen time, less exercise, more loneliness, less work. The coronavirus measures have changed a great deal. The Netherlands Youth Institute provides an overview of various studies into the impact of the measures on parenting and growing up in the Netherlands.
After years of decline, the use of ‘traditional substances’ such as tobacco, alcohol and cannabis among schoolchildren has stabilised, according to the report Youth and Risky Behaviour 2019: Key figures from the Trimbos Institute’s Student Survey.
On 29 June, more than 2,500 childcare locations and primary schools organised activities in the mud during the ninth edition of Mud Day for more than 90,000 children. They let loose with Mud Paint, searched through the mud, put Mud Dishes on the menu and, of course, played, smeared and splashed around in the mud.
It is not very surprising that knowledge about the origins and characteristics of what we eat every day is inadequate. Consumers, including students, often have little knowledge about where our food comes from and how it is produced. They have also not learned how to make choices based on this knowledge. In itself, that is strange, because food affects everyone. By placing responsibility for food production in the hands of children and young people, food takes on a different meaning. And that is exactly what the GrowWizzKid teaching method does.
One in four secondary school students experiences stress due to school and homework, one in five due to the pressure of everything combined, one in ten due to other people’s opinions, and one in twelve due to the situation at home. Students in grades 7 and 8 most often experience stress from other people’s opinions. This is evident from the report ‘Happiness Under Pressure’, commissioned by UNICEF Netherlands. For the report, the Trimbos Institute, together with Utrecht University and Stichting Alexander, conducted research.
Insufficient or poor-quality sleep can seriously hinder the daily functioning of children (and their parents). Sleep problems often lead to all kinds of physical and mental problems, both at home and at school. These may include concentration problems, tension at home and at school, a bad mood and difficult behavior, reduced resistance, (more) pain, anxiety, overweight or diabetes. A sleep exercise therapist can help.
The Netherlands Youth Institute and the Support Centre for Appropriate Education are organising a free online meeting on 7 October for professionals working in inter-school facilities and education partnerships. The first part focuses on quality development and the supervisory framework of the Inspectorate of Education. The second part addresses lessons learned during the coronavirus pandemic, such as the added value of doorstep conversations and the possibilities of distance learning.
There are more pupils at school, progress is generally stable, and schools are generally satisfied with the first week of fully reopening. This is according to a survey conducted by the General Association of School Leaders (AVS) among 726 school principals. However, school leaders are still seeing problems related to staff shortages. According to virtually all school leaders, more investment is needed to address the staff shortage.
Over the past few weeks, the fear of coronavirus infection has led parents to keep their children at home, while schools and childcare centres have refused children with runny noses. The RIVM has now provided clarity about colds in young children, but as long as there is no medicine or vaccine for this coronavirus, we will continue to live with fear and uncertainty, observes Anita Kraak, senior adviser at the Netherlands Youth Institute. “Fear is a poor counsellor when it overrides the interests of the child. We must teach children how to cope with uncertainty.”
Encouraging healthy eating habits among children is important. The ‘Healthy School Lunch’ project is investigating what is involved when children do not bring their lunch from home, but are provided with a healthy lunch at school. Wageningen University & Research is conducting this research together with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and a number of partners.
What do parents think about their child's education? What do they think of the quality of education? Read about it in the State of the Parent 2020. State of the Parent is the annual survey conducted by Ouders & Onderwijs into parents' opinions and experiences.
Schools in the Netherlands were closed for several weeks. Parents were given the role of home teacher, and schools did their best to organize home education as effectively as possible. Children may not have worked through the curriculum in the planned way. But on the other hand, many children developed in other areas precisely because of this unusual situation.
At the end of May, 206 schools learned that they could make use of the Healthy Relationships & Sexuality Incentive Scheme. “A fantastic result,” says project leader Merel Hendriks, “because all these schools have decided to devote extra attention to this important theme. Through the scheme, we are giving them an extra helping hand.”
Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix opened the thirteenth edition of National Outdoor Play Day on Wednesday, June 10. Princess Beatrix gave the starting signal for this historic day from Speeltuinvereniging Baarn in the presence of Dave Ensberg-Kleijkers, managing director of Jantje Beton, and Maurice Hols, Managing Director of ViacomCBS Northern Europe.
How can meaningful leisure activities contribute to the well-being of young people? And can meaningful leisure activities among young people prevent the use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco? During the online inspiration session on the Icelandic prevention model on 23 June, this model will be used to explore the role that leisure activities can play in prevention.
In recent years, appropriate education has faced an inadequate budget, bureaucracy and sluggishness. The aim was to enable more children with disabilities or learning or behavioral problems to attend mainstream schools, but this has not been achieved. These are the conclusions of the evaluation by the National Initiative for Education Research (NRO), commissioned by the Ministry of Education.
Playing outdoors is extremely important, even now. That is why children's channel Nickelodeon and Jantje Beton are organizing the thirteenth edition of National Outdoor Play Day on Wednesday afternoon, June 10. They are calling on all children: ‘Let’s celebrate being allowed to play outside!’
Between 31 August and 11 September, schools can register via euschoolfruit.nl for the 2020–2021 EU-Schoolfruit and Vegetable Programme. Participating schools will receive 3 portions of vegetables and fruit per pupil, per week, for 20 weeks.
More than a quarter of primary school pupils have below-average motor skills. Among 4–6-year-olds, this is 28%; among 6–9-year-olds, 29%; and among 9–12-year-olds, 25%. This is shown by the results of the MQ Scan, which was administered in 2019 to more than 70,000 pupils at 428 primary schools. The scan was developed by The Hague University of Applied Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Athletic Skills Model.
The symposium is organized by Eten op School and runs from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. During the symposium, the initiators of Eten op School will share the results of their research into support for, the composition and implementation of, and the effects of a healthy school lunch at primary schools in the Netherlands.
For students who do not feel comfortable in a group, going back to school is quite daunting. And for girls, this may manifest itself differently than for boys. How does the school recognize a girl who needs help? And how can you help her? In the webinar ‘Girls in Times of Corona’, held on 13 May, Pierre Pas, senior educational adviser, and Marieke Martens, child coach, answer the question of how you as a teacher and/or parent can give this a practical interpretation.
The pressure in daily life among young people and young adults is one of the four health issues that the national government wants to address over the next four years. This is stated in ‘Health broadly on the agenda’, the new National Health Policy Memorandum 2020–2024. State Secretary Paul Blokhuis presented it to the House of Representatives on Monday, 25 May.
Since Monday, 11 May, two healthy Wheel of Five products featuring enchanting Disney characters have been available on ALDI shelves under the name Disney Kitchen. They feature various Disney princesses, such as Rapunzel and Jasmine. In this way, ALDI aims to make it more appealing for children and their parents to choose healthy alternatives: eating healthily has never been so much fun! The products are snack carrots and whole-wheat rolls. Later this year, more healthy products featuring other Disney characters will be added to the range.