Parents are still required to pay parent contribution.

Parents are still required to pay parent contribution.

At some schools, there is still an obligation for parents to pay the parental contribution. This is shown by research from Leergeld Nederland reported by NRC. Worrying because it is not allowed by law. According to the new law about the voluntary parental contribution, the voluntary parental contribution is really voluntary. Parents can decide for themselves if they pay or not.

At about 15 percent of the foundations where Leergeld Nederland inquired, it appears that children are even excluded from activities if the parent contribution is not paid. Some school governing bodies would ‘pretend they do not know the law change to see how far they can go’.

Really voluntary

According to the changed law, the voluntary parent contribution is really voluntary. That means that parents can decide themselves whether to pay. If you do not pay, your child can always join. Both primary and secondary schools can no longer exclude any child from activities organized by the school. It is not only about school trips but also about tutoring, extra homework support or bilingual education for which a compulsory parent contribution is no longer allowed.

Laptops and tablets

If the school uses laptops, tablets or other digital learning materials, the parent contribution is also voluntary. This means that the school provides replacement materials if parents do not want or cannot pay.

Education Inspectorate

If you as a parent notice that the school forces you to pay, you can report this to the Education Inspectorate. The supervisor told RTL news it ‘actively checks’ whether schools follow the new law. Those who break the rules risk ‘a suspension of government funding’. The phone number of the Education Inspectorate desk is: 088-669 60 60 (available every working day from 9:00 to 16:30). For more information, visit the Education Inspectorate website.

Read more and questions

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