Verandering en onderwijs in Suriname

Samenvatting

Between 1950 and 1965, the number of school children in Surinam grew by 178% from 37,000 to 103,0 compared to a growth rate in the same period of 47% in the Netherlands. The problem is further complicated as more Javanese and Hindustanis are now attending secondary schools, but do not wish to study in the officially Christian setting, as is found in the majority of the schools in Surinam. The ULO is a lower secondary school which does not require an entrance examination. While technical education has grown relatively little, applications to the ULO have increased greatly, despite the fact that a small research sample showed after 5 months, only 15% of the graduates had found employment, while 78% were still looking for work. ULO graduates also do poorly in gaining admission to higher schools, often due to language barriers for the Javanese and Hindustani students. The ULO has not yet adjusted to the increase in children not coming from a Dutch-speaking background. It does not fulfill the expectations of any of the parties involved, and is in need of a thorough revision. P. Tiersma.