Reference Framework and learning lines Papiamentu ready for use in schools

Last Monday a conference was organized by the national expertise center for curriculum development (SLO) in response to the Papiamentu reference framework and learning lines.

Conferentie Referentiekader en leerlijnen Papiamentu

During the conference presentations were given by various educational experts. Participants were additionally given the opportunity to practice with assignments and ask questions.

"The purpose of the Reference Framework and its elaboration into a learning line is to strengthen, from a multilingual perspective, the position of Papiamentu as a mother tongue and largest surrounding language in and outside education on Bonaire. Therefore, the Reference Framework has been elaborated into a continuous learning line for the school subject Papiamentu. This learning line provides suggestions for the structure and organization of the educational offerings Papiamentu for the different levels." project leader Hoogeveen said.

Commissioner Nina den Heyer adds, "This is an important next step in the recognition and perpetuation of Papiamentu."

Reference framework as an instrument

A frame of reference is an instrument that describes what students should be able to do and know at certain points in their school career: end of primary education, vmbo, havo-vwo and mbo. It describes four achievement levels for language proficiency, in increasing levels of difficulty. The Reference Framework and the learning lines were developed in collaboration with a working group of teachers from primary and secondary education on Bonaire and is the result of the assignment of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap, OCW) to SLO in the Netherlands.