Brussels (Brussels Morning – February 12, 2024) In the latest assessment of the Koala screening program, approximately 11 percent of five-year-old children in Flanders have shown inadequate Dutch proficiency for transitioning to primary school, with an additional 4 percent scoring even lower. Despite these concerning figures, Flemish Member of Parliament Roosmarijn Beckers highlights deeper issues, emphasizing the need for targeted intervention and improved monitoring.
Is Koala Screening Effective in Addressing Language Proficiency?
Beckers voices apprehension over the efficacy of the Koala screening, noting its limited scope in assessing early literacy and its exclusion of recent foreign-speaking arrivals. She underscores the lack of standardized follow-up procedures, leaving schools to determine interventions independently. Beckers expresses skepticism about the impact of the screening without comprehensive monitoring and evaluation.
Vlaams Belang Proposes Binding Language Tests for Kindergarten Children
In response to the shortcomings of the Koala screening, Vlaams Belang advocates for binding language tests in the third kindergarten year, followed by a real language assessment in May. Children failing to meet language proficiency standards would undergo additional nursery class or language immersion placement. Vlaams Belang also proposes dedicated language immersion classes in primary education, aimed at supporting both linguistically challenged native students and non-Dutch speaking newcomers, with the goal of facilitating their integration into mainstream classes.
