National Prize for Education Journalism for de Volkskrant

Journalists from de Volkskrant won the National Prize for Education Journalism on Friday evening for a series of articles about the transition test. EM was also nominated, with an article by Tessa Hofland on why it is so difficult to dismiss unsuitable medical students.

The Volkskrant-journalists won the award for their series on the transition test, the successor to the Cito test. The investigation by Jurre van den Berg, Irene de Zwaan, Ben Meindertsma, Erik Verwiel and Serena Frijters showed that pupils have better chances of moving on to senior general secondary education or pre-university education depending on which test they take. According to the jury, the series ‘convincingly demonstrates that the transition test, intended to promote equal opportunities, has led to the opposite’.

Persistence

The jury praised the journalists’ persistence. “The five journalists from de Volkskrant did not accept the limited availability of information or the minister’s inclination to keep negative messages from the education sector out of the public eye.”

Erasmus Magazine was also among the five best entries for the National Prize for Education Journalism. Editor Tessa Hofland was nominated for her article ‘Why it is almost impossible to dismiss unsuitable medical students’, about the medical programme’s struggle with students who display unprofessional behaviour and endanger fellow students, colleagues or patients.

Courage and tact

“Tessa Hofland has, with her article in Erasmus Magazine, brought to light an unknown but socially very relevant issue”, the jury wrote. The topic had been on the EM editorial team’s radar for some time and became relevant again after the triple murder committed by Fouad L. in 2023. “That event left deep scars at the institution Hofland herself is affiliated with”, said the jury. “The fact that she nevertheless revisited the subject and showed how Rotterdam is working to improve selection mechanisms within the medical degree programme demonstrates courage and tact.”

Other nominees were Henk Strikkers of BN/De Stem with ‘The first year of new teacher Esmee’, Lisanne van Sadelhof of Onderwijsblad with ‘Homebound child forces alderman to look beyond the numbers’, and Nikki Brands and Jan Hein Strop of Follow the Money with ‘Tutoring millionaire enriched himself with a “Sywert construction” at the expense of disadvantaged children’.

The jury consisted of Karin Westerbeek (Education Council), Pieter Slaman (university historian at Leiden University), Hans de Clercq (director of the School of Journalism at Utrecht University of Applied Sciences) and chair Addie de Moor (lecturer in science journalism and journalistic writing).