Opening of CITO Turkey
Günaydin (spreek uit als guunaidin; goedemorgen)
Ambassador, distinguished representatives of CITO, of the Turkish Ministry of National Education and of METU, ladies and gentlemen,
- Top-quality, inspiring education – education that gets the best out of children – is something we should all get wherever we live. Fortunately, both Turkey and the Netherlands have the resources to make good education a reality. We do all we can to offer our young people the very best.
- But as you know, education is never perfect! We can always do better.
- In the Netherlands, we’re working very hard to improve our education. One of our main goals is to make language and maths teaching better. Another is to improve the way we test children. We’re also investing in teachers. Our approach is simple and logical. Things that are poor need to be good and things that are good need to be even better.
- You are doing exactly the same thing in Turkey. I am very pleased that we can share our expertise with you and I hope you will find our approach inspiring.
- In the Netherlands, the CITO pupil monitoring system is well established in primary schools. CITO is one of the biggest players in educational cooperation between Turkey and the Netherlands. And for good reason. When it comes to testing and assessment, CITO is world-famous for its know-how. And it has recently opened local branches in Germany and the United States. This successful Dutch product has just been introduced in Turkey, under the motto ‘Every child counts’.
- And that’s why I’m here today. It’s an honour for me to be opening this new CITO branch. It’s located in the grounds of METU – one of Turkey’s top universities. That says a lot. It shows how seriously you take education here!
- A moment ago, I was talking about the quality of education. To make things better, you first have to measure and assess them. But how can you tell whether things are good or bad? You need good measuring tools. Schools need to know where they stand.
- The CITO pupil monitoring system is a measuring tool that gets top marks. First, it measures each child’s progress. Second, it helps you to produce ‘made to measure’ education. And third, it shows the quality of schools. Knowing where you are is the first step towards improving quality. It’s as simple as that. CITO’s slogan is ‘now you know’ – which says it all.
- There are of course differences between the Turkish and Dutch education systems. So, CITO Netherlands and the Turkish academic community are working together to make a product that will be really effective in the Turkish context. And I am very pleased that the Dutch and Turkish ministries of education are also working closely on this matter. That’s why I am here today.
- In the meantime, almost 20 private schools in Turkey have started working with the CITO pupil monitoring system. I hope that later on, state schools will also take it up.
- Turkey is a country with big ambitions. You are about to experience great changes in education. For instance, a brand-new curriculum is being developed for primary schools. I’m delighted that a Dutch organisation is helping you to achieve these goals.
- I am very pleased indeed that our two countries are working together so well to improve education. And we want to make this partnership even closer. Dutch and Turkish education experts will be making it all happen. I have every confidence that they will be successful.
- Finally, I would like to congratulate Ömer Ahmet Konak, Jan Wiegers and Maarten Roorda and their 30 members of staff on the opening of this new branch. I hope it will be a great success. And I wish you all the best for the future, in your work with your partners, your clients and the Turkish Ministry of Education!
Thank you. Teshékkuur ederim.