According to Bruynel, who is working on the project with Carel Vaneker, most non-native Dutch youngsters will not end up in an academic environment while they do have the necessary qualities. `A lot of studies have been done on why ethnic minorities do not continue into higher education. In the first place, it is not normally the case that youngsters go to college. Language is a problem, as is the lack of knowledge about the Dutch educational system.' Vaneker finishes this statement: `In indigenous families the first generation that goes to college has a harder time; children that go to college first in the family have a significantly lower chance of succeeding. In non-native Dutch families, that will be just the same.'
Vaneker points out the fact that a lot of non-native Dutch children learn below their ability. `There might be some VWO-suitable students (pre-university education) among VMBO-students (pre-senior secondary vocational education).'
Bruynel and Vaneker emphasize that they want to discover talented youngsters and supervise them; they do not want to lower the required level of knowledge. `For too long, people only saw what non-native Dutch people could not do. It is time to change the focus to what they can do.'
With the 110,000 euros that ELAN receives as a subsidy in the next two and a half years, the UT institute has some concrete activities in mind that should stimulate the non-native Dutch students to enroll and achieve a higher efficiency. With help from summer schools, peer mentors, informational meetings and goal-oriented study supervision Bruynel and Vaneker hope to realize those goals.
On December 7 ELAN will organize a conference where university policy makers, local authorities, migrant organizations, student supervisors and non-native Dutch students can think about measures that make sure no talent is lost.
Vaneker and Bruynel hope for an active involvement from especially the non-native Dutch students and academics. For more information, contact [email protected].
Trans. H. van Dorp
