Eric, superdirecteur

Do you like the podcast on 4T Max? Hello, I'm Wart Beoghaert and I'm Philipp Heymans. Someone, someone, someone. Do you want to say someone? Someone, someone, someone. Someone, someone, someone. Someone. Wart, do you know when we started with our podcast when we thought about the idea that we said we're going to stay away from the burning news? Yes, yes, yes. The words "wean of the day" are the case and that we had to stay away from it. Yes, we're going to do something completely different and you can't avoid it anyway. It's not about playing, by the way. No, no, it's not about playing. You can be working on a subject like the reportage we're going to let you hear now. You're working on it, you think okay, nice subject. That's about the school. That's about the school. And while you're working on it, you suddenly notice that it's the news again. At that school, for example, it's not only about the school you're working on, because that's actually a reportage about problems young people from difficult areas. How can you invest that effort in those guests so that they don't become criminal or even not a terrorist? And then you're going to think very quickly about Molumbik and then you're indeed at that activity again. Yes, absolutely. You try to stay away from it, but Molumbik comes very far ahead. Even though the story is actually played out in the Netherlands, but of course they also have that kind of work there. You have the Schilderswijk in Den Haag in Amsterdam West. And in this case you have Rotterdam Zuid, a work that is indeed working on Molumbik, I think. Preparative, aggressive exhibition. Preparative, armed with the problematique that is being solved there. Velau, an Islamic population. And also a lot of crime. The problems in Zuid are great. Worklessness, crime. I know myself as a twelve-year-old. And not young people who speak, but also shoot and have things in their name. At a shooting party in a side street of the Pleinweg in Rotterdam Zuid, Boensdagavent a man was wounded. A lot of shooting, a lot of shooting, a lot of shooting. There is an enormous second economy going on here, under our economy in drugs. But due to the fact that there are also people living with children who already have fewer opportunities in life. And then often also go to a less good school. That's how it all started here, with the Hugo de Groot School in Rotterdam Zuid. I would like to say that we had the students inside, who didn't come here to study, but they had a roof over their heads and they were written down somewhere. The Hugo de Groot was one of the worst schools in Rotterdam, where most students didn't even pay attention to the final exam. You have to think about the percentage of beatings of around 38%. Where students sometimes run around with guns or knives. A stretch of the street. At least until a few years ago. Because now the Hugo de Groot is one of the best schools in the Netherlands. With great beatings. Yes, they are now about 100%. So where they were 38%, we went from 70% to 90% to 100%. How is that possible? Six, seven years ago one of the worst schools in the Netherlands and now one of the best. And that is one of the biggest problems in the country. The answer lies for a big part of this man. My name is Erik van Tselten. I'm a teacher in Engels and a director of Hugo de Groot in Rotterdam Zuid. Erik worked here in 2009 as a director. And he found a school that shaped a challenge. Literally and figuratively, in a way. The building was terrible. A lot of hooks, crosses, a lot of weird texts. With terrible marks on the walls. The graffiti, that was solved quickly. That's what I thought, we would just order a pot of paint and do something about it. But the problems were of course bigger than that. 98% of the teaching was done and is still risk-wise indicated. That means that we have a very high chance of falling out of the education process. And therefore, of course, falling out of society. And then you are done to an exception in this district. And then you get very difficult out of the uncertainty of that poor, viscous circle. Erik had an idea what it had to do with it. As a child, he had brought a part of his school time into a high school in Scotland. Very sick, very illiterate, all of them. But the basic idea of that Scottish school, he wanted to transfer to Rotterdam South. I am going to become a cross for the poor. Excellent education. Disciplines, a lot of iron. Letting students excel. Brought by the best teachers. But he didn't have that. I found a team that was murdered. Over-murdered systems. A teacher team that no longer went to save the class. So I called them murdered heroes. I thought it had something to do with it. With that, the murdered hero didn't go to school to make the best school in the Netherlands. And in the first year, we left 34 colleagues. Half of all teachers were grateful. Hard but necessary, Erik found. He was replaced by young teachers who sometimes just came from school. Because he needed people who were full of energy. But he missed that experience, which he also needed. That's why he took on some older people, like Schert. I am now retired for nine years. I am going to be 72 next month. Or like Jan, also retired. I have also been a teacher here in this school since 1969. They can now pass their experience to younger colleagues and themselves. What can they do? It was mainly to build it in a kind of educational way. And not directly from a complete job to being fully retired. That's what I saw a little more of. I have a limited job, that combination. So with a little more free time for other things. And with children, hobbies, sleeping, that kind of thing. Jan even does it for a lower salary than he actually has. So that the school can use that money for other things. Well, yes, I think you shouldn't exaggerate that either. I mean, I have a pension. If you have worked in the Netherlands as a teacher, then you are well taken care of. And there is room for something else in the school. Well, yes, fine, right? Well, we were only talking about the motivated teachers and let them participate through a few old rots that want to share their experience. That will be step one to make a super school. Step two, work on the teachers. Because they are not all lovers either. The moment you come to school with a pistol. Or the moment you want to use your knife at school. Then I am very simple and say, well, go away. You are not a teacher here or donned. Erik had already left some teachers behind. Now it was time for some teachers to leave. Specifically, it was about three teachers of 15 and 16 who had hit a boy of 11 heavy in each other. There were camera images of it. For the school, it was also clear that they had to leave. But the parents of those teachers were not there at once and stepped towards the right. Because according to the Dutch law, you can not throw a teacher away from school like that. That can say the law. The law also prohibits mistreatment for the rest of the country. I can say the law, you can't throw away children. Well, I followed it, why not? So the school knew that they would lose the case and that they would have to take back the aggressive students. An ugly line by the bill of Erik. But still he fought. I want to be a safe school. Because you can just stay at school and the principal can stand on his head. I'm not going to be a director like that. If you really bring someone a heavy lesson, then just keep it up. What the law also says. While the process went above their heads, the case became even more difficult. One evening Erik was still on his way to his office. Suddenly his door opened. And among the three of those big boys who were standing here in front of the door, they had to have the principal. For that kind of case, Erik had a clever hammer under his desk. His fingers were already tense about the style of the hammer. Well, they were here, but with one mistake. That was a very bad part of me. Probably due to the parents of those children who were thrown away from school. Erik wanted to sell his field for a long time. Then I played on the hammer that I was dealing with the drugs, and the principal had been at home for a long time. Then they disappeared from the building. A good outcome. But the school still had a time of police custody. And cameras were hanging in its office. Meanwhile, the court was ready with her opinion about the further lessons. And the school did indeed get the wrong result. That's where the law said, "Sorry, principal, you can't disobey." But there was also good news. The law had worked out a compromise. At the same time, I don't think it's appropriate to go back to your school. So you have to get a different school. And that's how Erik got rid of the rude teachers, including the rotten apples under the lessons. I think that in the Netherlands, a certain message has been brought. We as directors don't have to pick anything anymore. And we as teachers don't have to pick anything anymore. Time for step three. Just give lessons again. Because that was also not evident. According to the most modern views, the teachers don't really have to get lessons. They had a holy belief in that the teachers could do everything themselves. They could determine what they were doing, how they were doing it, at what pace. And the teacher was there as a teacher. If the teacher needed him, he would step towards him. And then he would ask for something. And then the teacher would send a little bit with him. So a teacher was not just a teacher, but a coach. No problem. That didn't work. Not for the teachers who already had no structure at home, who were sitting with a huge background, and who were not stimulated by their parents to study. And so they just had to give lessons again. That's what the new director thought. And I said, well, that's fine. I'm going to go to school. But we're going to give classical lessons. There is a teacher or a woman for the class who understands their profession. And the teachers, they found it fine. Because we have experienced it. The children here still have the most to do. Structure, brightness, quick reward, numbers, a lot of knowledge, a lot of equipment, a lot of extra equipment. And not too much complicated, free things. That's why the Ugo de Groot School is now a free, classical school. I think it just starts with the neuromy. And that we all make a point for our calculation. But then we come to the point where the points are. The teachers are lovely, but strict. Like this brand of us, who was chosen last year to be a teacher of the year. And there are many questions about teachers and teachers. Some teachers give extra lessons on Saturday or in the evening after school. So a lot of work for the teachers. I believe they really have an extra hour. Extra hours in Dutch, extra hours in English, extra hours in maths. All kinds of outdoor activities. So we also ask a lot of them. But it does have results. The teachers are not allowed to give lessons. That class commitment. Like, I have to ask something to my colleague. Or I have to copy something. Or sorry, I haven't heard the call. I'm still sitting a bit down for a while. The class commitment, that disappears. And the teachers are the boss again for the class. And after a few years, that also became clear for the outside world. Suddenly the teachers started counting on the Hugo de Grootweer. At six years old, the number of students doubled from less than 300 to more than 600. I found it a very nice atmosphere. I actually felt at home right away when I was at school. And the teachers also didn't come just because they didn't have a choice anymore. One, because I needed a lot of training, because at my elementary school I didn't have enough training. And then I really needed it. And two, because I heard that this is a strict policy. And I used to get a lot of training. And that's also a reason why I went to this school. Also because it was close by. And because I just thought that I could get a good education here. And because it would just be fun. Good work is rewarded here. Not only with points, but also with gifts. Once a year, the gifts are distributed to whoever has done their best. We have, for example, the bookbond, we have the Bisco bond. But we also have the Hugo Jarras, we also have the Hugo Pert. And two years ago there was a serious reward. Two years ago I gave two children a zoo trip of 8,000 euros per ticket. So we gave them a small 16,000 euros. A zoo trip around South America, via sponsoring, is true. And with the intention to learn something. But there was criticism. The common education must not be a joke. Then also teachers will become each other's competitors. The school was once again in the eye of a storm. And now it's time to take it home. The teachers were allowed to leave. And they went sailing for six weeks. They went from South-South America. They went up through the oceans towards Amsterdam. And so the Hugo De Groot School became one of the best schools in the Netherlands. Five years after it was one of the worst schools. Because of extra direction, teachers, other staff and teachers. But it remains a battle. And it must be fought every day. While Erik leads me around in the school. We pass a boy with a hoodie. A son with a cap. He pulls the cap of the boy's head. On the way he also stays at an empty drink carton. There is a wander around. Small things, but they do count. And sometimes there are still heavy crises. On the day that I am here, for example. I have to miss Erik for an hour. By a suspect report that goes around. A bloodbath is being revealed. Fortunately, no bloodbath, but false alarm. But that was not the only time in April 2012. It started on a Monday morning. We are always at the doorstep to see how students enter. Good morning. And then there are the two ladies at the reception. And then it turns out that she was missing a daughter. The daughter was a student of the Hugo de Groot. A Polish girl of 14. Erik warned the police. But he also started an investigation. Via his network of students, he came very quickly after the assignment. Then it turned out that she went with a number of Afghan boys. He gave her a drink without her knowing. In the end we took her to a hotel. It has been two days. She was raped and raped. Besides, it turned out that the boys, they call them "lover boys", were planning to take the girl to our country to force her here in the prostitution. We are often missing students in the Antwerp-Russian section. The "lover boys" were old students of the school. And therefore Erik could make contact with them. At some point we got back with the girl. By putting those Afghan girls in a lot of pressure. Erik put the pressure on them. And the girl came back home. They were very serious after rape and rape. But they didn't come back. It's a total nonsense. I'm telling you, I have that child for my nose. I hear how she is raped. I hear where she is raped and raped. I hear the burden of the company. Then you look at the girl and you think "you're a girl of 14". And then all the other guys open up. Then they have to be there. She didn't work fast enough for Erik's mind. So she went with the girl to a doctor for a spore checkup on her body. He also went to the hotel where she was staying and forced her owner to take her camera pictures. Of course, it wasn't my job. I am a teacher of English. At the same time, I told her to stay away from my children. And I go to jail anyway. And so you go from the situation that it is not your job to the situation in which if you don't do it, nobody will do it. A regular school will never be there. Fortunately, there are also beautiful moments. Like when in June last year, the outcome of the central exam was known. As soon as it became clear that it had been beaten 300% at the time, and that we were a little above the national average per year, a performance of format. A great performance. A school where less than 40% of the students beat five years earlier. Erik felt fantastic. Yes, you look forward to that day. And he looked forward to the celebration of that evening. He didn't feel what was going on above his head. Because when Erik wanted to congratulate the students with the fantastic work they had done, he received a very unexpected reaction. Well, Erik, you're too lazy. I say, you stay away from your neighbors, otherwise I'll fly to you. Before those students, Mirella, it was also a heavy year. A lot goes by with the students, which made them suddenly have to teach the last few years, which they had never done before. It was a day off, working for the Hugo de Grootschool. It was before Hugo, after Hugo, afternoon Hugo, evening Hugo. And that as the only mother of two children. Then I went home, I was with the children, I took them to school, now we ate something. I started to get a little sick while they were on TV. I started to get sick by doing little things. My children are six and nine. They go to bed at eight o'clock. And then it was from eight o'clock to one or two o'clock. And then stand up again for half a week. And that's how the day went by. It was a heavy year for Mirella. To let students with a serious background fight for Germany. Instead of giving them three hours a week, they give them lessons for example. Sometimes these students get more attention and a lot more patience from my own children. And sometimes I have it very difficult with that. Only, yes. These are not only students for you. When you start at this school, and you have no sense, they become much more than just our students. They are not numbers. Every child has their own story. And Erik, yes, that's what it's all about. I raised it. The parents who work here, they have it for the first and the last hour, so they can run the family and arrange it and get rid of it. But then you have arranged it for yourself and then you think that your personality is good, but you still have to do something on your Netflix, what happens at home with those people. And now I have got more attention on that. Yes, I am now making myself more worried about her. I mean, she is really okay. But for him, the reaction of Mirella is very significant. I have to conclude for myself that the weight of the job and the many hours we make, that it has made a huge impact on us, that it has made people healthier, that it has made people structural. That it has tested the health of people. And that's why the education at this school has got something France. So we can only be successful if we destroy ourselves. It sounds dramatic, don't you think? Last year, at the end of the school year, it was also very close for Eric. Two days before summer vacation, I entered here on my office. I got a sticker there. It was on my ear, because of some problems and a lot of fatigue. And then I signed up for a heart monitor. And then you are suddenly there. Thinking about your life. When you are waiting for your blood test to see if you have had an attack, then you think, nothing is worth it. Nothing is worth it that you are going through it yourself. You got six of those stickers on your pants, with cinnamon blood, yeast, you have to do all kinds of tests. I shock myself. You go from a healthy person, to a person like Joachim Doth or not. And then you get really scared. And that was the moment when I thought, okay, you are 43. You are becoming a dark shot. And it is really... Yeah, against the bias. What are you going to do now? Fortunately, it went well. And Erik had the whole summer vacation to think further. And my conclusion at the moment is, well, you can't keep this as a docent team. You need a government. You need the minister of education. And the second room needs it. He says, we do get our own directors. We do get our own docent. We do get our own convergers. And as long as they don't do that, you know that you can only realize excellent education in this district when you go there. Erik needs more money to attract even more and even better docentes for schools in problem areas. In the Netherlands, I get 78 euro per child from the government. If they add that to 10,000, then I'm really a child. 2200 euro extra per child sounds a lot, but actually it's not, Erik thinks. The price of the exclusion of these students, the price of the exclusion of this type of child, you are going to pay back in many ways if you don't invest now. Because if you don't invest now in young people, they will become criminals. Or worse. If you then remove the good schools, or if you only keep the bad schools in mind with the bad docentes, then those children can't get a role in our society. And then they fall back to the direction of the decision of the society of their parents based on a religious unity. And then you get that parallel society. And if they don't do anything about it, and don't give any other support to religion, then Erik thinks the worst. If we deal with each other now, and that starts with education, then we have a better Molenbeek with all results. Or Molenbeek now, at this point, is so much worse than Rotterdam South, let's put it in the middle. The fact is that children from a problem area who can go to a good school just have the same future dreams, as their life partner from other areas. I haven't thought about it that much yet, but it seems to me fun to do something in the economy, financial advisor or accountant or something. I want to become a doctor all the time. Even if I don't want to, I just want a gym. So L.O., so that's the way to go. And you can become a docent. You hear it, Erik van Zelf, he hopes for more attention to his project. And that's why he wrote a book about it. That book is called "Superschool". The details of it are on radio 1.be. And on that site you will also find more information about him and about all our previous episodes of "Iemand". Thanks to Erik van Zelf and the staff and the teaching of the Hugo de Grootschool in Rotterdam-Best. And next week we have "Iemand anders". I can't imagine it. I'm getting more of it now and then. He was always very vague about it. We also felt that he didn't want to talk about it. The people are just pissing me off. Just on your head. This "Iemand" is made by us two, Waard Bogard and Philipp Heimans. Thank you also to the staff of the machine for their music. You can find us on the site, the Facebook or the Twitter account of Radio 1. And you can send us to [email protected]. For more information on Iemand, visit www.radio1.be.