ABN AMRO partner in cross-mentoring programme
- Sustainability
Over the coming three years, one thousand primary school head teachers will join forces with one thousand leaders from the business community and the non-profit sector. Not only will various ABN AMRO managers take part, the bank is also one of the partners in the initiative.
ExCo member Daphne de Kluis took part in the pilot last year: ‘It’s fascinating to see how alike the organisations basically are. Taking part in the pilot was a truly valuable experience for me. I got a lot of inspiration out of it and I learned a great deal. And it also works the other way round, because we are a large organisation that can be of help to primary schools in several practical areas such as IT, HR, Finance, etc. We have so much expertise in these areas.’
First round to start on 13 April
The cross-mentoring programme pairs school heads with business and non-profit leaders to coach each other for a period of four months. Buoyed by the success of last year’s pilot, 350 people have already signed up for this year’s edition. The first round with 104 participants (52 pairs) starts on 13 April. The primary goal is for participants to learn from each other as leaders and tackle organisational and educational challenges together. Last year’s pilot also showed that the mentoring sessions result in mutual practical benefits.
The power of the outsider’s perspective
School heads and business leaders learn from each other, precisely because of the different contexts in which they operate. That is the power of the outsider’s perspective. ‘We need good leaders both in education and beyond to be able to face the societal challenges of our time. By learning from each other, these leaders can get better at their jobs. And that benefits not only their immediate staff, but ultimately also those whom they are here to serve, which in education are the pupils. The cross-mentoring programme is designed to contribute to that,’ says co-initiator and trainee teacher Merel van Vroonhoven.
It works both ways
As an independent initiator behind the project, she published a report last year arguing for a structural approach to tackling teacher shortages. Teachers and primary school heads have a lot on their plates right now. Too much, in fact, as the Dutch Education Council concluded in late March. Van Vroonhoven: ‘As a school head, you want your teachers to be able to focus almost exclusively on their teaching and the development of education. Getting an outsider’s take on things really helps them do that. And it works both ways, because these leaders coach each other. Primary school heads work in the heart of society, which gives them a broad and valuable perspective.’
Covid-19 adds to challenges in education
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to even greater backlogs and inequality of opportunities in education. Both pupils and teachers have a very tough year behind them. Petra van Haren of the General Association of School Heads (Algemene Vereniging van Schoolleiders, AVS) explains: ‘We’re pleased to see that this issue has made it onto the political agenda, but what’s equally great to see is that there are also public-private initiatives that offer solutions. Bringing leaders of schools and companies together creates new networks and consolidates brainpower and commitment to work on good education and leadership.’
Partners and participants
The strategic partners behind the cross-mentoring programme are AVS, ABN AMRO, APG and Deloitte. The programme is backed by the Dutch Ministry of Education. Participants in the first round include directors from the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB), ABN AMRO, the Red Cross, Deloitte, Kraft Heinz, HTM (The Hague public transport company), and The Vegetarian Butcher.