Lagere rekenscores voor migranten omdat zij lager scoren op lezen?

The current approach to mathematics education in the Netherlands is called Realistic Mathematics Education, an approach that uses a lot of language. The purpose of this article is to answer the question whether migration background predicts reading scores, which then predicts the math score among fifteen-year-olds in the Netherlands. Data from the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 is used in this research. The sample consist of 3671 Dutch students aged fifteen. To meet the research question, a mediation analysis is performed. Results show that migration background has a significant effect on the mathematics score. The reading score has a mediation effect on this relationship. When controlling for background variables, the direct effect of migration background on the math score disappears. This means migration background predicts the reading score, which then predicts the math score. It is therefore necessary to create didactics of mathematics which offers all students an equal chance to develop their math skills.