A secondary school in the Netherlands has taken a unique approach to reduce student stress by limiting parental access to children’s grades for a term. The school, Jordan – Montessori Lyceum Utrecht, noticed that a popular app sharing every mark with parents was increasing pressure on students.
The school’s economics teacher, Stijn Uittenbogaard, conducted a study with 500 pupils and found that students whose parents checked the app regularly reported higher stress levels compared to those whose parents did not. This constant monitoring was leading to unnecessary pressure on the students to perform.
Uittenbogaard expressed his concern about the modern trend of parents closely monitoring their children’s academic performance. Unlike the past, where students had more control over when and how they shared their grades with parents, the instant notifications from the app were creating a stressful environment for students.
After discussing the findings with the school’s rector, Geert Looyschelder, a decision was made to pause grade sharing for a month. The response from student groups was positive, with 95% of parents agreeing to the initiative. The parents’ council even suggested extending the suspension to 10 weeks.
Looyschelder, an experienced educator, believes that the current focus on grades in the Dutch school system is overshadowing the development of essential life skills like empathy and flexibility. He emphasized the importance of giving students ownership of their learning process and the freedom to make mistakes.
The director of Ouders en Onderwijs, Lobke Vlaming, praised the school’s initiative, noting that it addresses parental concerns about performance pressure and children’s privacy. She highlighted the need for a balance between sharing academic information and maintaining open communication between schools and parents.
This move by the school near Utrecht reflects a broader call for reducing pressure and obsession with grades in education. Various studies have recommended delaying testing and selection processes to alleviate stress and improve equal opportunities for students.
Karen Veij, a former director of a testing service, supported the experiment, emphasizing the importance of allowing students to learn from their mistakes and retake exams if needed. She highlighted the flaws in the current testing system, where every grade carries significant weight and leaves little room for failure and improvement.
Overall, the decision to limit parental access to grades temporarily is a step towards creating a less stressful and more student-centered learning environment. It encourages a shift towards focusing on holistic development and individual growth rather than just academic performance.
