Research on school costs: inequality grows, clarity is still needed.

Research on school costs: inequality grows, clarity is still needed.

The government published an evaluation last week about the law on voluntary parents' contributions and the School Costs Monitor 2024-2025. These studies show that many parents still find it unclear how voluntary the parents' contribution is. The monitor also shows that school costs are rising and that there are large differences between schools.

Ouders & Onderwijs has recognized these signals for years and stresses that schools must be clearer towards parents. No single child may be excluded from school activities.

School Costs Monitor

In the School Costs Monitor schools are asked what parents pay for school costs. The monitor shows that costs in both primary and secondary education have slightly increased compared to the last measurement in 2022-2023.  

• Primary schools: small increase from an average of €54 to €57 per child. Only 9% of schools no longer ask for any contribution. 

• Secondary schools: costs vary greatly per track from an average of €125 (Practical education track) to €465 (gymnasium). 
• For ICT resources (laptops/tablets) the contribution is voluntary, but more than 80% of parents do not know this. Schools must communicate more clearly about this. If parents cannot pay, schools must offer an alternative. Ouders & Onderwijs argues that laptops and tablets should be reimbursed for all children from the law on free school books. 

Mbo not included in School Costs Monitor

Mbo was not included in this year’s research, while previous editions did include it. That is a shame, because minor mbo students can also have trouble paying school costs. Ouders & Onderwijs has long argued that education for minors in mbo should be free, as it is for age peers in secondary school. This means that textbooks, learning materials and also lockers for these young people should be paid for by the school. 

Law on voluntary parents’ contribution

In 2021 the law on voluntary parents’ contribution took effect. Since then, students can always join all extra activities of school. It does not matter whether parents have paid the contribution. 

Schools can use the voluntary parents’ contribution to organize, among other things, school trips, Christmas dinners, but also tutoring and homework support. 

The idea behind the law is that students in primary and secondary schools cannot be excluded from activities arranged by the school. Every student may join, even if parents cannot pay the contribution.

Uncertainty about the rules mainly in secondary education

The evaluation of the law shows that most schools now explain in the school guide: 

• how high the voluntary parents’ contribution is; 
• what it is spent on; 
• that paying is voluntary; 
• and that students may never be excluded from activities. 

Yet things still go wrong too often. Especially in secondary education, it is not always clearly stated that children of parents who cannot pay may just join. Exclusion still occurs at some schools.  

Ouders & Onderwijs finds this unacceptable: joining may never depend on parents’ money. 

Alternative to the parents’ contribution

Ouders & Onderwijs has long argued for a change to the rules about the voluntary parents’ contribution. Now parents are still often pressured to pay, and extra school activities depend on how much money parents have. That increases differences between schools and so children’s chances. To prevent that, we argue for the following: 

• Abolish the parents’ contribution in primary education and give schools a fixed amount per student for it. 
• Make laptops and other digital learning resources just like school books free for parents. 
• Set a maximum on parents’ contributions in secondary education so schools cannot ask too much from parents.