Basic skills

This project aims to gain more insight into the development of basic skills. The Inspectorate of Education has expressed concerns in recent years about students’ mastery of basic skills. International research also shows that an increasing number of 15-year-old students are failing to meet the minimum skill levels for reading and/or writing. For example, students’ reading performance is steadily declining, while the European average remains stable. Currently, 24% of 15-year-old Dutch students are at risk of functional illiteracy. Finally, the COVID-19 crisis and periods of distance learning have put additional pressure on students’ mastery of basic skills.

This project investigates various aspects of basic skills. First, we aim to understand the development of basic skills in students. At what point in their school career does inequality in basic skills increase? Which students are particularly at risk of falling behind in basic skills? Additionally, we examine the consequences of (a lack of) basic skills for people’s well-being and development. Finally, we also research potential interventions to address and prevent gaps in basic skills.

Using administrative data and large-scale existing datasets, we research the development of basic skills. Furthermore, we conduct impact studies on promising approaches to strengthen basic skills.

At this moment, there is no possibility for schools to participate in this project. If you would like to know more about the project, please contact Elke Claes.