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Introduction tailored education.
Tailored education means good education for all students. The idea is that all students get proper support in education. Preferably at a regular school, but if that is not possible, at a school for special education. That sounds simple but is quite complicated in practice. On this page, you will find a short introduction about how the evaluation of tailored education led to concrete policy. And then the answers to frequently asked questions.
From evaluation to concrete policy
In 2020, the theme of our research was the Staat van de Ouder tailored education. Read the complete research by downloading the Staat van de Ouder 2020. After many talks with parents, we concluded that tailored education causes many problems in practice. We made some recommendations to put the basis of education in order and make improvements around tailored education. Our input was translated into a note with policy recommendations for the ministry and politics. The evaluation of tailored education ended in 2020 with an improvement approach by minister Slob. The plan is that each partnership tailored education gets a support point for parents, student rights are laid down, and there is more supervision on the partnerships. In October 2021, the first steps were taken toward developing such a support point.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Many parents have questions about tailored education. What is meant by the duty of care? What is a support plan? And what is an arrangement? Below you will find the answers to these frequently asked questions.
Questions or personal advice?
Do you have questions about this topic, would you like advice regarding your situation, or just a listening ear? Then please contact us via 088-6050101, email vraag@oudersenonderwijs.nl or WhatsApp ons.
FAQ Inclusive Education.
Inclusive education means that every child receives education that matches their abilities and qualities. Since 1 August 2014, the Law on Inclusive Education has been in force, regulating this. According to this law, all children have the right to good education, including children who need extra support. The law gives schools the responsibility to ensure this.
According to the duty of care, a school is obliged to ensure that a student who needs extra guidance and support gets a suitable place. This applies to students who are already at school and students who are being enrolled. The school, in consultation with the parents, seeks a suitable place. This can be:
- the own school;
- another regular school if the school of choice cannot provide the necessary help;
- a school for (secondary) special education.
A child can go to school from the age of 4. From 3 years old, parents/guardians can enroll their child in writing at a school. If the child needs extra support, they indicate this at the registration. The duty of care then starts immediately, even if the child is younger than 4 at the time of registration. The school then investigates whether they can provide the necessary support, possibly with extra support from the collaborative association. The school then has 6 weeks to decide whether your child will be admitted. Sometimes, the school needs more information to assess this. The period can be extended once by 4 weeks.
If children are enrolled before they turn 3, we refer to it as pre-enrollment, and the duty of care does not apply.
The school first examines whether they can offer a suitable program themselves. They do this based on the Equal Treatment Act on the grounds of disability or chronic illness. (Wgbh/cz). Three factors play a significant role:
- the (im)possibilities of the child;
- the (im)possibilities of the school;
- the parents’ wishes.
If the placement poses an undue burden on the school, they have a reason to refuse admission to the student. In that case, the school must find another school that can admit your child.
In order to actually offer all students a good educational place, regular and special schools in primary and secondary education form regional cooperation partnerships together. The cooperation partnership makes agreements about the support that regular schools provide, which students get a place in special education, and about the distribution of support resources.
Schools for special education (so) are for students who are physically, sensory, or intellectually handicapped, and for students with mental health problems or behavioral problems. For these students, there are schools divided into four clusters:
- Cluster 1
Schools for blind or visually impaired students;
- Cluster 2
Schools for deaf students, hard of hearing students, students with severe speech difficulties, and students with communication problems;
- Cluster 3
Schools for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities, very difficult to teach students, and long-term ill students with a physical disability, students with epilepsy, and multiply handicapped students who are very difficult to teach;
- Cluster 4
Schools for students with severe behavioral problems and/or psychiatric problems.
Read more about special education
Special primary education (sbo) provides education to students who do not develop optimally in regular education. This concerns milder problems than the problems students in special education face.
Schools are obliged to draw up a development perspective (OPP) for all students in (secondary) special education, practical education, and special primary education. Drawing up a development perspective is also mandatory for students receiving extra support in regular primary and secondary education. No development perspective is needed for students receiving support from the regular (primary) support offer, such as guidance with dyslexia or short-term remedial teaching.
The development perspective consists of two parts. The part focused on long-term development and the exit profile, and the action part that deals with individual support. Regarding the first part, the school must engage in ‘consensus-oriented consultation’ with parents. The intention is for parents and the school to agree on that part together, but it is not compulsory. As for the action part, parents have had the right to approve since August 1, 2017. This means it cannot be determined if parents do not agree with it.
A statement of eligibility is requested for students for whom the support in regular education is not sufficient. The statement can be requested at the start of the school career if it is immediately clear that the child is best off starting at a special school. A statement is also requested if only after some time in regular school, it becomes apparent that a separate school is a better place. For placement in (secondary) special education, special primary education, practical education, and transitional facilities, a statement of eligibility is necessary. For educational support support (LWOO), no statement of eligibility is required, but a ‘LWOO indication’ is given. The process is the same as when applying for a statement.
Read more about rules, registration, and admission to special education
In the school support profile, the school board records at least once every 4 years what support the school can offer to students who need it. It also describes the school’s ambitions for the future. This profile is drawn up by teachers, school management, and the board. Based on the profile, the school identifies what expertise may need to be developed and what that means for the (training of) teachers.
The collaboration agreement specifies how inclusive education is implemented in their region. This agreement is drawn up at least once every 4 years. The agreement serves as a model for the school support profiles of the participating schools.
Before the agreement can be established, the collaboration agreement conducts agreement-based talks with the municipality(ies). The support plan council (OPR) must also approve the agreement.
An arrangement is personalized additional educational or care support when the basic support at school is insufficient. The arrangements can be implemented in different ways based on the collaboration agreement’s support plan. They are flexible in duration and intensity, allowing for continuous assessment of whether the offering remains suitable for the child.
Sometimes, children need both education and care to develop. They may be eligible for an education care arrangement (OZA).
An education care arrangement focuses on students with combined issues, such as intellectual disabilities alongside severe behavioral problems or psychiatric issues. These are children who, without additional support from care or youth services, are unable to attend (special) education.
It involves an arrangement in which education and one or more care partners collaborate in a coherent approach for school, leisure time, and home, based on one child, one family, one plan. The aim is to enable or maintain educational participation through this combined effort, based on the support needs of the student or group.
How care at school is organized depends on the other care your child receives.
- Students without a Long-Term Care Act (WLZ) indication
- Guidance and support care at school: Youth Act
Guidance and support care fall under the municipality’s responsibility, even during school hours. This is stated in the Youth Act. Municipalities coordinate support with the collaborations for inclusive education. - Nursing and care at school: Health Insurance Act
Nursing and related personal care during education fall under health insurance. Parents make agreements with the school about this. This also applies to a combination of intensive nursing, care, and guidance (previously intensive child care).
- Students over 18 years old without WLZ indication
For students over 18 years old:
- Guidance from the Social Support Act (municipality)
- Care from the Social Support Act or the Health Insurance Act
- Nursing from the Health Insurance Act
- Students with WLZ indication
If your child has an indication for the Long-Term Care Act (WLZ), care at school will be reimbursed from the WLZ. This can include guidance, care, and nursing.
Coordination of home-school support
It is important to coordinate care at home and at school effectively. For example, through an education care arrangement. As a parent, you can discuss your child’s needs with the school and organizations that organize care (municipality/health insurance company and care provider). You discuss what your child needs, who is responsible for it, and who carries out what tasks.
- Youth Act: Collaborations for inclusive education must conduct an ‘agreement-based consultation’ with municipalities to align students’ support at school with that from the Youth Act.
- Health Insurance Act: Parents make agreements with the school regarding support from the Health Insurance Act.
- WLZ: The health insurance company coordinates the student’s care plan with any
Under this arrangement, parents can claim a subsidy for adapted transport of students to school. Municipalities implement this arrangement. Within certain national regulations, municipalities determine how student transport is organized. The municipality records this in the student transport ordinance.
You can apply for transport at the municipality where you live. A new application is required for each school year.
Practical education is intended for students who need extra support in the areas of learning and social-emotional skills and cannot follow education in pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO). It is a form of secondary education that lasts for about six years. The students receive guidance in small classes, where they work on theory, practical subjects, and social skills. The goal is to transition to work or further education (Entry-level MBO training).
Educational support is specifically intended for students who have difficulties in pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO), but with a little help can still obtain a VMBO diploma. Students with an LWOO indication can apply to schools offering learning pathway support. The group size is smaller with more help in the classroom so that students can receive extra support. How the support is provided may vary per school, the school support profile describes how the school offers support.
Schools offering learning pathway support apply for this support at the collaboration association. If the collaboration association has not established its own criteria, then these national conditions apply. Read more here:
The minimum age at which schools can admit children to special education is 4 years. For deaf or hearing-impaired children, a minimum age of 3 years applies. Your child must leave secondary special education at the latest when they are 20. Sometimes an exemption from these age limits is possible.
Yes, there is also inclusive education in MBO. Based on the Equal Treatment Act on the grounds of disability or chronic illness (Wgbh/cz), a student may request effective adjustments. A good intake at the start of the education is the basis for the right support. Together with the student (and parents when the student is still a minor), it is determined what additional support is needed. The agreements are documented in writing in an appendix to the education agreement (OOK).
FAQ Inclusive education.
Inclusive education means that every child receives education that suits their abilities and qualities. The Law on Inclusive Education has been in force since August 1, 2014, regulating this. According to this law, all children have the right to good education, including children who require extra support. The law gives schools the responsibility to ensure this.
According to the duty of care, a school is obliged to ensure that a student who needs extra guidance and support gets an appropriate place. This applies to students already at the school and those being enrolled. The school, in consultation with the parents, looks for a suitable place. This can be:
- the current school;
- another regular school if the chosen school cannot provide the necessary help;
- a (secondary) school for special education.
A child can start school at 4 years old. From 3 years old, parents/guardians can enroll their child in writing at a school. If the child requires extra support, they indicate this upon enrollment. The duty of care then comes into effect immediately, even if the child is younger than 4 at enrollment. The school then investigates whether they can provide the necessary support, possibly with additional support from the collaboration network. The school has 6 weeks to decide whether your child will be admitted. Sometimes, the school needs more information to assess this. The period can be extended once by 4 weeks.
If children are enrolled before they are 3 years old, we refer to it as pre-enrollment, and the duty of care does not apply yet.
The school first investigates if they can offer a suitable solution themselves. This is done based on the Equal Treatment Act on the grounds of disability or chronic illness. (Wgbh/cz). Three factors play a significant role:
- the (im)possibilities of the child;
- the (im)possibilities of the school;
- the parents’ wishes.
If the placement constitutes an undue burden on the school, they have a reason to not accept the student. The school must then find another school that can admit your child.
In order to truly offer all students a good educational spot, regular and special schools in primary and secondary education form regional cooperation partnerships together. The partnership makes agreements about the guidance provided by regular schools, which students will have a spot in special education, and the distribution of support resources.
Schools for special education (so) are for students who are physically, sensory, or intellectually disabled, and for students with psychological or behavioral problems. Schools are divided into four clusters for these students:
- Cluster 1
Schools for blind or visually impaired students;
- Cluster 2
Schools for deaf students, hard of hearing students, students with severe speech difficulties, and students with communication problems;
- Cluster 3
Schools for students with physical and/or intellectual disabilities, very difficult learning students, and chronically ill students with a physical disability, students with epilepsy, and multiply disabled students who have great difficulty learning;
- Cluster 4
Schools for students with severe behavioral and/or psychiatric problems.
Read more about special education
Special primary education (sbo) provides education to students who do not develop optimally in regular education. This concerns lighter issues than those students in special education deal with.
Schools are required to draft an educational perspective (OPP) for all students in (secondary) special education, vocational education, and special primary education. It is also mandatory to establish an educational perspective for students receiving extra support in regular primary and secondary education. For students supported through the regular (basic) support offer, such as guidance for dyslexia or short-term remedial teaching, an educational perspective is not required.
The educational perspective consists of two parts. The part focused on long-term development and the exit profile, and the action part concerning individual support. For the first part, the school must engage in ‘action-oriented consultation’ with parents. It is intended for parents and the school to agree on this part together, but it is not mandatory. Regarding the action part, parents have had right of approval since August 1, 2017. This means it cannot be established if parents disagree.
A statement of eligibility is requested for students for whom the support in regular education is not sufficient. The TLV can be requested at the start of the schooling career if it is clear that the child is best suited to start at a special school. A TLV is also requested if it becomes clear only after some time in a regular school that a separate school is a better fit. A statement of eligibility is required for placement in (secondary) special education, special primary education, vocational education, and intermediary provisions. Learning support education (LWOO) does not require a statement of eligibility, but an ‘LWOO designation’ is provided. The process is the same as applying for a TLV.
Read more about rules, application, and admission to special education
In the school support profile, the school board documents at least once every 4 years the support the school can provide to students in need. It describes the school’s ambitions for the future. This profile is drawn up by teachers, school management, and the board. Based on the profile, the school identifies which expertise may need to be developed and what that means for teacher training.
The collaboration between schools defines how inclusive education is implemented in their region. This plan is drawn up at least once every 4 years. The plan serves as a model for the school support profiles of the participating schools.
Prior to finalizing the plan, the collaboration conducts agreement-driven talks with the municipality(ies). Additionally, the Support Plan Council (OPR) must approve the support plan.
An arrangement is a tailored extra educational or care support when the basic school support is insufficient. Arrangements can be customized in various ways based on the collaboration’s support plan. They are flexible in duration and intensity, allowing for ongoing assessment of whether the offering is still suitable for the child.
Sometimes, in addition to education, children need care to aid in their development. These children may qualify for an education care arrangement (OZA).
An education care arrangement addresses students with combined issues, such as intellectual disabilities with severe behavioral or psychiatric problems. These are children who, without additional support from care or youth care, are unable to attend (special) education.
It involves an arrangement where education and one or more care partners collaborate in a comprehensive approach for school, leisure time, and home, based on the principle of one child, one family, one plan. The goal is to make, or maintain, educational participation thanks to this combined educational-care approach, with the focus on the support needs of the student or target group.
The arrangement of care at school depends on the other care your child receives.
- Students without a Long-Term Care Act (WLZ) indication
- Guidance and supervisory care at school: Youth Act
Guidance and supervisory care fall under the responsibility of the municipality, even during school hours. This is stated in the Youth Act. Municipalities coordinate the support with the collaboration of inclusive education. - Nursing and care at school: Health Insurance Act
Nursing and related personal care during education is covered by health insurance. Parents make agreements with the school for this. This also applies to a combination of intensive nursing, care, and guidance (formerly intensive child care).
- Students above 18 years without WLZ indication
For students above 18 years old:
- Support from the Municipal Social Support Act (Wmo)
- Care from the Wmo or the Health Insurance Act
- Nursing from the Health Insurance Act
- Students with WLZ indication
If your child has an indication for the Long-Term Care Act (WLZ), care at school is covered by the WLZ. This can consist of guidance, care, and nursing.
Coordination of home-school support
It is essential to coordinate care at home and at school effectively. For example, through an education care arrangement. As a parent, you can discuss with the school and organizations that manage care (municipality/health insurance company and the care provider) what your child needs, who is responsible, and who performs which tasks.
- Youth Act: Collaborations of inclusive education must conduct an ‘agreement-driven discussion’ (oogo) with municipalities to align student support at school with that from the Youth Act.
- Health Insurance Act: Parents make agreements with the school regarding support from the Health Insurance Act.
- WLZ: The health insurance company aligns the care plan of the student with any
Under this scheme, parents can apply for compensation for adapted transport of students to school. Municipalities implement this scheme. Within specific national rules, municipalities determine how they organize student transport. This is documented by the municipality in the student transport regulation.
You can request transport from the municipality where you reside. A new request is made for each school year.
Vocational education is intended for students who need extra support in the areas of learning and social-emotional skills and cannot follow education at pre-vocational secondary education. It is a form of secondary education that lasts about six years. Students receive guidance in small classes, where they work on theory, practical subjects, and social skills. With the aim of transitioning to work or further education (Entrance-level MBO).
Educational support is specifically intended for students who struggle in pre-vocational secondary education, but with a little help, they can still obtain a pre-vocational secondary education diploma. Students with an lwoo indication can enroll in schools that offer educational support pathway. The group size is smaller with more help in the classroom so that the students can receive extra support. How the support is provided can vary per school, the school support profile describes how the school offers the support.
Schools with educational support pathway apply for educational support pathway at the cooperation association. If the cooperation association has not established its own criteria, then these national conditions apply. Read more about at:
The minimum age at which schools may admit children to special education is 4 years. For deaf or hard of hearing children, the minimum age is 3 years. Your child must leave special secondary education at the latest when they are 20. Sometimes exemption from these age limits is possible.
Yes, inclusive education also exists in MBO. Based on the Equal Treatment Act on the grounds of disability or chronic illness (Wgbh/cz), a student may request effective adjustments. A good intake at the start of the course is the starting point for the right support. Together with the student (and parents when the student is still a minor), it is determined what additional guidance is needed. The agreements are recorded in writing in an appendix to the education agreement (OEN).
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