Ouders & Onderwijs And Balans Call For An Integral Approach To The Problem Of School Absence.

Ouders & Onderwijs And Balans Call For An Integral Approach To The Problem Of School Absence.

This week it became known that the number of children absent from school again increased. Last school year, over 4479 children were absent ‘unauthorized’ for more than three months. In reality, the number of absent children is higher because children with exemptions, children absent for less than three months and children who are ‘authorized’ absent are not counted.

Along with these figures, a report by former children’s ombudsman Marc Dullaert was published. Ouders & Onderwijs and Parent Association Balans believe the advice in this report should be adopted by the involved parties. That is why we, together with Balans, sent a letter to the House of Representatives to advocate for this.

The report has ten pieces of advice that together should bring improvement for children who currently cannot participate in education:

1. Remove the distinction between authorized and unauthorized absences because every child has the right to learn inside or outside school.
2. Give much more attention to preventing dropout and fully focus on the child’s interest.
3. Replace compulsory education with the right to learn: every child’s right to learn and develop.
4. Abolish exemptions and ensure every child can learn tailormade.
5. Make sure parents are always taken seriously and agree with the approach taken (informed consent).
6. The teacher must be much better supported and can easily get help.
7. When administrative processes get stuck at care and education institutions, a case manager can force a breakthrough towards professionals.
8. Organize a breakthrough by bringing all involved parties together.
9. If this fails, binding arbitration can take place if parents agree, letting parents appoint a representative themselves.
10. Record the above in regionally binding agreements and in national laws and regulations.

Regional parent representation and a national reporting point

To make sure parents are involved and supported as much as possible, we ask politics to create easy and independent parent representation at the regional level. Also, there should be a reporting point where parents can easily go with problems. Now, parents are only truly helped when problems become very big.

Persistence power against administrative failure, not against parents

It is also important that the approach to school absence does not lead to pressure or coercion against parents. Persistence power is meant to break through administrative failure and not to impose a proposed approach on parents and children. The advice from Dullaert keeps open the possibility to use criminal law against ‘unwilling parents.’ We find this very undesirable: current laws offer more than enough options when parents do not act in their child’s interest.