Statistics Netherlands | CBS
Source published: 17 April 25
CBS Learning Package on the Economy Combines Exam Content with Game Element
To promote the use of statistics in secondary education, CBS has created the ConjunctuurBekerStrijd. This is a competition in which students from MBO and the upper levels of HAVO and VWO with economics in their profile predict the development of the Dutch economy. This competition took place again last year. Of the 31 classes that participated, the students of 6 VWO from Maartenscollege in Haren predicted the economic developments of 2024 best based on 10 indicators, such as unemployment, inflation, and economic growth. Analyzing the Economy
Femke Nusse-de Kock is the organizer of the ConjunctuurBekerStrijd at CBS. Each year, she enthusiastically coordinates this competition. Under the guidance of their teacher and using ten indicators that CBS uses to analyze the economy, the students participate. They analyze historical series, compare indicators, establish connections, and follow the news to make a good prediction. Collaboration, research, and analysis are important here.
Exam Content with a Game Element
The first prize of the ConjunctuurBekerStrijd this year went to class 6 VWO from Gerda Leyendijk from Maartenscollege. She is a teacher of economics and business economics and teaches classes from MAVO 3 to VWO 6. With 3 groups of students from VWO 6 she participated. It is a very fun competition because the learning package connects exam content with a game element. That is also the reason why we have participated twice before. Leyendijk used the learning package for the exam component Research and Experiment, which connected to a practical assignment for her students on the topic of the economy. For the economy assignment, all students gave a presentation. For that, they had to look up a lot of figures, for example in macroeconomic explorations and the national budget.
Self-Directed Package
The students of 6 VWO took the predicting of the indicators very seriously. I spent a lesson on the CBS website where the economic indicators can be found. In predicting those indicators, the students certainly did not guess, but extrapolated the indicators from the past. According to Leyendijk, the CBS learning package is very helpful for both teachers and their students. It is a self-directed learning package. The students can work well with it. In October 2024 Leyendijk submitted the assignments with her classes to CBS. Two weeks ago, they received a message from the statistics office that they had won the first prize. We were very surprised by this. Some students were over the moon with pride! The check of 375 euros that the students won will be well spent: they will go out to dinner with their teacher soon.
Macroeconomic Lessons
The second prize of the competition this year went to class 6 VWO from Kalsbeek College in Woerden. There Jasper Verhoef is a teacher of economics for the classes 4, 5, and 6 VWO and 4 and 5 HAVO. I have been participating in the ConjunctuurBekerStrijd for years because it fits well with my lessons on macroeconomics. In total, I spend three lessons on it. In groups, students must predict a number of economic indicators and provide a justification for their prediction. After those three lessons, we discuss the predictions. That is very valuable.
Comparing Sources
The CBS learning package is well put together according to Verhoef and ensures that students get to work independently. That happens, for example, because they have to compare different sources. Think of the CBS website and the websites of the Central Planning Bureau and De Nederlandsche Bank. The learning package is also integrated into our economics exam program. Did Verhoef expect that he would win the second prize with his students? No, it was a complete surprise! Predicting is sometimes a gamble because you never know which events will influence it. Think, for example, of the trade war currently taking place due to President Trumps import tariffs. In the end, Verhoef also won the 6th prize of the CBS competition with another 6 VWO class .
Less Abstract
Chris Geerdink is a teacher of economics and business economics at Twents Carmel College in Oldenzaal. He teaches economics to students of VWO classes 3, 4, 5, and 6. He has also been participating with his classes in the ConjunctuurBekerStrijd for years and this time won the third prize with class 6 of VWO. What is his motivation to participate? It is fun! Moreover, it is accessible. The students get a better picture of the indicators through the CBS learning package. The indicators become less abstract. According to Geerdink, the learning package is practically structured. Students have to compare multiple sources, for example, the CBS website is an interesting source, but also the macroeconomic exploration of the Central Planning Bureau. I can certainly recommend this learning package to all economics teachers.
Tough Task
CBS organizer Femke Nusse-de Kock is pleased with the enthusiasm with which teachers and students respond to the first three prizes. The schools that have landed in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place this year have all received a cake and a check. The teachers who won with their students have achieved a great accomplishment. Accurately predicting the 10 economic indicators is always a tough task.
Source last updated: 17 April 25
Published on Openrijk: 19 April 25
