Children’s ombudsman asks minister to take concrete actions against children staying at home problem.

Children’s ombudsman asks minister to take concrete actions against children staying at home problem.

Too many children in the Netherlands do not get education. They stay at home while they have the right to education. The problems have been known for years. Many parties have made efforts. This seems to have little effect because the number of children staying at home increases. The children’s ombudsman wants the minister of education to take some concrete actions immediately to improve the situation of children staying at home.

Dozens of complaints and requests for help

Every year the children’s ombudsman receives dozens of complaints and help requests from and about children who cannot go to school. These reports are a reason for the children’s ombudsman to investigate the problems around children staying at home. The group of children who stay at home and the related problems are very diverse. Some are children stuck in the current education system of Tailored Education. There is no suitable place at school for them. But it also concerns children who stay at home because they are, for example, victims of bullying or discrimination. And there are also cases where children do not go to school because of a difference in opinion between parent(s) and the school about what is suitable for the child.

Definition of children staying at home

The children’s ombudsman’s analysis shows that it is unclear how many children really stay at home without education and how many children receive (a form of) home education. There is still no formal meaning of the word ‘children staying at home’. Different definitions are used by the parties involved.

Kalverboer: “We know that many children stay at home. We even suspect that many more children stay at home than we think now. Only with sufficient and reliable data will it become clear exactly how many children it concerns. I also ask the minister to investigate which initiatives are really successful and thus ensure that more children go to school. In addition, I have concerns about the increasing number of exemptions from the compulsory education law based on religious or belief grounds. While there is little to no insight into the quality of home education.”

Quick concrete actions

The children’s ombudsman wants the minister of education to take concrete actions immediately. There must be clear agreements with schools so that there is enough help in the classroom to offer extra support to children. Regular schools must also continue to educate children who are on the waiting list for special education. In addition, with every child who is about to stay at home, an assessment of interests must be made. The interest of the child must come first.

When a serious decision is made, the child has the right to give his or her opinion. The child also has the right to an explanation about the decision. The children’s ombudsman has developed the plan ‘The best decision for the child’ for these kinds of talks. Kalverboer calls on schools, compulsory education officers and others involved to have talks with the child itself – if children want this.

From compulsory education to right to education

In the long term, it is important that our education system really becomes inclusive. That means all children get the extra support they need. Also, pupils with physical or intellectual disabilities, developmental delays, behavioral and emotional problems or specific learning difficulties. All children must be able to join school. This requires a shift in thinking from compulsory education to right to education.