Out‑of‑school children.

In the Netherlands there are children who do not go to school for various reasons. For example, because there is no place, or because the education does not meet the needs of a child. When do we talk about out‑of‑school children? What problems do they face? And where can you go for help?

When is your child an out‑of‑school child?

If a child does not go to school for more than four weeks, we speak of an out‑of‑school child. Some children have been exempted from education. Others are registered at a school but cannot attend for various reasons.

This can be because a child cannot go to school themselves, but also because the school does not feel able to have the child at school. Or they are on a waiting list for a school that does not yet have space. Finally, there are children not registered at a school without an exemption. The estimate is that there are at least 70,000 children in the Netherlands who do not go to school.

Hidden out‑of‑school children

There are also out‑of‑school children who are not visible because they do not appear in the statistics. This concerns children who do not follow a full educational program, are not welcome at school for an indefinite period, or whose long-term absenteeism is not reported. It is therefore difficult to determine exactly how many children are out‑of‑school in the Netherlands.

Help for out‑of‑school children

What can you do when your child does not go to school for a long time? There are many organizations involved with out‑of‑school children. As a parent, you can go to the following organizations for help:

The school where your child is registered or where you registered your child
The partnership tailored education in your region must ensure that your child receives a tailored education offer
Education consultants offer free guidance, mediation, and advice when finding suitable education for your child if you cannot resolve it with the partnership
The attendance officer of the municipality where your child lives. They can look at educational possibilities and/or grant a (temporary) exemption from compulsory education. Sometimes the municipality also has other employees who help parents, such as a municipal ombudsman
If the school does not follow the rules, you can report it to the Education inspectorate. They take complaints from parents into account in their supervision
At the dispute committee tailored education you can file a case if there is a disagreement with the school about the development perspective plan or if the school removes your child. Also if your child becomes an out‑of‑school child as a result. Note: a dispute must be filed within six weeks
The Children’s Ombudsman monitors compliance with the convention on the rights of the child. Do you have a problem with the government, your school, an organization in childcare, youth care or healthcare? They can help you further
The Netherlands institute for human rights is an independent body that supervises compliance with human rights in the Netherlands. The institute also monitors compliance with equal treatment legislation and can, in individual cases, judge whether someone has been discriminated against in education

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