Fahad Mpomba: 'I want to make it, but the language requirement is not easy'

Fahad Mpomba (24) came to the Netherlands from Uganda four years ago. He lives in Den Bosch and follows the English-language vocational training course. International Business at Summa and is a member of the Central Student Council.

His days are packed: studying, traveling, working, and learning the Dutch language in the meantime. “It is tough,” he says. “But I do want to learn it. It is part of the deal if you want to stay here.” To prevent talented students from getting bogged down by the mandatory language requirement in secondary vocational education, Summa is advocating for new rules – the so-called reversal scheme – for secondary vocational students for whom Dutch is not their native language.

Fahad came to the Netherlands to build a future. In the early stages, the focus was on integration and making ends meet. “I live alone with my mother in Den Bosch. We had to rebuild everything together. That means making choices that work for home and for school.”

He picked up the language quickly and, through his classes, even briefly ended up at Tilburg University for an intensive language program. That proved difficult to combine with his situation. He therefore looked for another route that better suited his life in the Netherlands. He found it at Summa. “I wanted to do something in business, but needed an education in English so that I could follow everything properly. I found that here.”

Fahad travels daily by bus and train between Den Bosch and Eindhoven. After school, he often goes straight to work. “I work at TK Maxx, a clothing and home furnishings store. There, I actively try to practice my Dutch. I ask if I can stand at the checkout so I can talk to customers. I also ask people to speak a little slower.” In addition, he watches Dutch television and speaks Dutch with his friends as much as possible. “It helps a little, but it’s not going fast.”

At MBO level, completing Dutch at 3F level is mandatory for the diploma. That level is comparable to the Dutch final exam at HAVO-5. In addition to his other subjects, Fahad also takes Dutch lessons. However, due to the schedule, those lessons vary from about one to three hours per week. This also makes it difficult for him to really make progress. “You don’t learn a language in a few hours; you need more time for that.”

His class is international, with students from Singapore, the Caribbean, Finland, Poland, Romania, Mexico, and the United Kingdom, among others. “Not everyone is at the same level. Some have only just arrived. And yet, everyone has to reach the same level.”

According to Fahad, the current MBO route is barely feasible for this group of students. He notices that the level is too ambitious for newcomers, especially if they have to combine their studies with work and travel. He also hears these signals from his role on the Central Student Council: “We have a lot of subjects: business, marketing, English. By the end of the day, your head is full. And then you still have to learn a language at a high level.”

To give students like Fahad more flexibility, Summa, together with the MBO Raad, Nuffic, and ten other MBO education institutions, is committed to the so-called reversal scheme. The scheme makes it possible for international students, for whom Dutch is a new language, to complete the Dutch course at level 2F if they complete another language – such as English or German – at level 3F. With level 2F, students can manage well in Dutch society and in the workplace.

Fahad wants to stay in the Netherlands. “I love Den Bosch. I want to live and work here.” That includes the language. “It is important to know the language of the country where you live.” He works on that every day, at school, at work, and at home. With the goal of continuing to build his future here.

Read also the earlier interview with Lena Scifos on the impact of the Dutch language requirement on international MBO students.