Report ‘The state of the home sitters’ published.

Report ‘The state of the home sitters’ published.

The education inspectorate publishes the report the state of education every year. After parents and teachers, home sitters now have their own version. The goal is to raise attention for this group of students. And that is needed, because in the detailed report of the education inspectorate this year, they are mentioned exactly four times.

Number of Home Sitters

The number of children who do not go to school depends on the definition and how it is counted. The official figures assume a little under 5,000 home sitters. Parent associations assume 15,000 to 20,000 children who for any reason do not follow education. Among them is a group of hidden home sitters. These are children who, for example, are suspended, have exemption from school attendance, are illegally in the Netherlands, come from youth care institutions, or are long-term ill. So far, it has unfortunately not been possible to reduce the number of home sitters despite the home sitter pact from 2016.

Research

The state of the home sitter discusses several studies about home sitters and gives recommendations. One conclusion is that both the environment (school, home situation, etc.) and the child or young person themselves play a role. Parents say that solutions they suggest are often dismissed. Not all factors can be influenced. Sometimes life just goes the way it goes, and a child or young person finds their place in life through a detour, and some events had to happen that way.

Core Solutions

Home sitting is often the result of a mismatch between the child and the school. The important question is what solutions are. The author describes three alternative solutions: Another way of looking, thinking, and acting: invest again in education and put the needs of children and young people first. The basis is the right to education and give parents a much more central position. And provide good facilities.

Another solution is to make education more of a priority: set a maximum group size, limit the number of teaching hours for teachers, and set up development schools. And sincerely love children and young people: Empathy and patience are essential for change.

Author’s Reaction

In an interview with Ouders & Onderwijs, author Kim Castenmiller says that steps have been taken, but there is still much to be done for home sitters. ‘Home sitting is often the result of a mismatch between the child and the school. The latter deserves more attention as a factor in the whole. In the many conversations I had and the stories I read, I saw one important red thread: where things turned for the better, it was because someone cared.’

Read Report

Do you also want to read the report? Consult the complete report The State of the Home Sitters. Very interesting for anyone, parents and professionals, who deal with (threatening) home sitters. It reads well, is well substantiated, and offers some new angles.

Questions

For questions about Tailored Education you can visit our thematic page in our Knowledge Base. You can also contact our staff on weekdays by phone at 088-6050101, or email to vraag@oudersenonderwijs.nl