Team from Eindhoven school wins ‘Devise an Audit’ challenge for schools
A team of eight 4th-form students from the Augustinianum school in Eindhoven has won the schools challenge mounted by the Netherlands Court of Audit.
Their task was to devise a topic for an audit by the Court of Audit. The winning entry was: How much do secondary-school students from different streams cost in relation to future revenue? The eight winners were presented with their prize (a voucher for tickets to a rock festival) by Saskia J. Stuiveling, the President of the Court of Audit, on the last day of school before the start of the summer holiday. As a further accolade, their audit will actually be performed by a team of auditors from the Court of Audit, with the eight winners acting as a focus group.
Prize-winners
The prize-winners are Dilana Özgül (team leader), Tom van Ruiswijk, Tim den Boer, Bram Smulders, Niek Leupen, Lenny de Wagt, Daphne van Ierland and Paul Lichtveld. According to the jury report, their suggestion was ‘well thought-out, relevant and interesting’. One of the attractions of the plan was the use made of social media for asking secondary-school students how much they themselves spent on school, for example on school trips, thus revealing any hidden costs. Another point in favour of the Augustinianum entry was the fact that it was realistic, i.e. capable of implementation by a team of national auditors acting in conjunction with the local audit office. The Court of Audit is hoping to publish the audit findings in March 2014.
The jury
The jury comprised Arno Visser (a member of the Board of the Court of Audit), Barbara Goezinne (the Director of Audits at the Court of Audit) and Ans Hoenderdos (representing the Dutch Association of Local Audit Offices and Audit Committees). The schools challenge was announced in a special edition of a newspaper for schools focusing on the work of audit offices. The newspaper was published in April 2013, in the run-up to the 200th anniversary of the Court of Audit’s foundation in 2014.
Saskia J. Stuiveling (the President of the Court of Audit, second from the left) with the proud team of winners of the ‘Devise an Audit’ challenge for schools. The winning audit plan centres on the cost of and future revenue generated by secondary-school students.
