In conversation with... Gorik Hageman

Gorik is a German teacher, is committed to education in Zeeland and the Grenzeloze school, and puts our region on the map. We know no greater ambassador for education!

Gorik participates in OnbegrensdZeeuwsVlaanderen in his role as education ambassador

Teaching in Zeeland is the beautiful name of the Regional Approach to Staff Shortages/Teacher Shortages in Zeeland, which originated from a subsidy scheme. Gorik joined to build the bridge with Flanders. After all, there were too few Dutch Pabo teachers, so attention turned to our southern neighbors. Here you notice that Flemish people living near the border have to travel farther (Antwerp, Ghent) for work, while a school in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen is much closer by. 

In the first year, fifteen Flemish teachers ended up at primary schools in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. A success, then. In the meantime, Gorik is also active as an ambassador at the higher education level.
 

Why OnbegrensdZeeuwsVlaanderen?

"Education is extremely important in an opportunity region like Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. And because I understood that within the network there was talk about education, but not with education, I got involved. Also characteristic: for me, there has never been a border between Flanders and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Unfortunately, for others, there is. I have always seen the opportunities on both sides of the border. That also reflects how I think: you have to think in regions, without edges and borders. 

I had known Rootzz for years from my work as a havo dean and already had contacts there. When it turned out there were close ties with OnbegrensdZeeuwsVlaanderen, I became a member about three years ago.
 

OZVL Network: sustainable contacts and projects

When you sit at the table with various sectors, you establish more sustainable contacts and projects and you find a partner for certain topics more quickly. Often, connecting with a specific company/school seems like a big step, but through this collaboration, the connections arise naturally. We don't have to take on every project, but we do know who is working on what. In fact, I can say that we even work more efficiently than if we had to look for support individually.
 

Boundless opportunities of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen

Boundless opportunities in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, for me, go even a step further than the cooperation between the three municipalities, but also across the national border. What I focus on most is showing and letting students experience that our region has a lot of work to offer. For years, it's been difficult to change that perception. That's why we have to work even harder to get them excited about the region before they leave to study. So that during and after their studies, they still think of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
 

Putting our region on the map

Gorik succeeded in bringing the Minister of Education to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen for a working visit in May. The goal was twofold. 

• On the one hand, to show that we have already achieved goals that are included in the coalition agreement, such as free childcare. In fact, we are a pilot for the rest of the Netherlands. In this way, we also want to put Zeeland on the map: as a role model for how things can be done differently, and we are happy to contribute to that.
• We also want to show that we are interesting. We often emphasize the problems here, such as population decline. But we should not let Zeeuws-Vlaanderen be known only as a shrinking region; continuing to call it that comes at the expense of, for example, quality education. 

We have put our region on the map by seizing opportunities and at the same time making it known that there are regional issues that we will not be able to solve without The Hague.
 

How do you see your role and ambition within OnbegrensdZeeuwsVlaanderen

I hope to make a valuable contribution in the areas of networking, knowledge, and thinking along in the policy world. An ambition I have within the region and the organization is to set up the Grenzeloze school: literally daring to cross borders as a network by establishing ourselves across the border. Expanding our network to Flanders so that we can strengthen each other in this way, instead of seeing each other as competitors (in education).
 

Why should people come to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen?

Cliché but true: the peace and nature are attractive, but also the pleasant living and life close to world cities where there is more going on is fantastic. You really have to discover the hidden gems in the region yourself, but once you see them, you won't forget them. In fact, you can experience all the boundlessness in one day here: from (Westerschelde) beach, through the green polders on your way to a world city just around the corner."