Tailored education: maze of incomprehensible procedures.

Tailored education: maze of incomprehensible procedures.

During the symposium of educational disputes, Lobke Vlaming, director of Ouders & Onderwijs, read a column about the problems parents face in practice with Tailored Education. On paper everything is fine and there are many steps parents can take. Unfortunately, the practice is often very different. Read the spoken column here.

Office Ouders & Onderwijs, Tuesday ten past nine. The phone rings about 60 times a day. I answer because it is my weekly phone day. ‘Ouders & Onderwijs, with Lobke Vlaming’.

‘Hello. I have questions about a problem at my child’s school’

‘You are at the right place. Tell me, I will think along with you.’

‘School said they want to send my child to Special education because they feel helpless. I don’t want that. What now?’

‘Ok, sorry you are in this situation. I will ask some questions. Has school made a plan for your child to see what support is needed? This is called a Development perspective plan.’

‘Uh, what? A Development perspective plan? I don’t know that. I sometimes get an email from the teacher about how it goes.’ 

‘Hmm, no that is probably not a Development perspective plan. So you did not have to sign anything? Because the support part of the Development perspective plan needs parents’ agreement.’

‘Wait! Yes, I had to sign something. But that was a Declaration of Admissibility I think. Do you know what that is? It was a form I had to sign and they would fill it in later.’

‘Oh… yes, that happens often. A Declaration of Admissibility is an application form for Special education. Did you sign this blank form?’

‘Yes, they said this was needed to get the right help.’

‘Well, school then has applied for admission to Special education at the Partnership Tailored Education.’

‘The what? Never heard of it. But I do not want my child to go to Special education at all. I want him to get help at school or else find another regular school. What should I do?’ 

‘I’m afraid the application is already sent. With a parent’s signature it is usually granted. Then finding another regular school is also very hard, because a child with a Declaration of Admissibility usually cannot get in most regular schools anymore.’

‘But there is nothing much wrong with my child. Maybe he can go to a smaller school or one with smaller classes?’

‘I fear that will be difficult now. But if the Partnership Tailored Education has decided on the Declaration of Admissibility, you can object to that. Also, a complaint about signing a blank Declaration of Admissibility can be made to the school’s complaints committee. Or the national complaints committee of course. Is it a public or special school?’

‘Regular.’

‘No, I mean if it is for example a religious school.’

‘Oh, why?’

‘Because then you don’t know which complaints committee you have to go to, if they are connected. Check the school guide. And referring to Special education without first making a Development perspective plan, you can report to the Education Inspectorate because they don’t meet the Duty of care.’

‘Duty of care?’

‘Yes, that is what schools must do for a child regarding Tailored Education. When you go to the Inspectorate, don’t call it a complaint or objection but a REPORT. Otherwise, they do not handle it. Also say the word Duty of care, then they might act. And don’t let them send you back to us because you have been there already. Make sure they take your report seriously, ok?’

‘And what happens then?’

‘Well, usually not much you notice. Maybe the contact inspector orders a correction. Then they must redo the process and still make a Development perspective plan.’

‘Will that help my child?’

‘I don’t think so. Often the result is the same if a school has decided to remove a child. But then they have the procedure in order.’

‘I already called around, but there is no suitable Special education school nearby.’

‘Well, the current school must offer an alternative school.’

‘They always mention that one school that really does not fit my child. Full of noisy children and my child is shy and withdrawn.’

‘That is very sad, but the school only needs to offer one alternative. You can always bring this to the Tailored Education disputes committee.’

‘Can they force the school to let my child stay?’

‘No, but they give advice.’

‘Advice? And then?’

‘That is up to the school governing body.’

‘But the school already said he is not welcome after the autumn holiday. What do I do now?’

‘School cannot say that just like that.’

‘Yes, but they do. There is no place for him and they say he must go to that other school. And that I will get problems with compulsory education. They even want to call Safe at Home because they think I don’t act in my child’s best interest. That is not fair?’

‘No, that is not fair. But we hear that often. You can file a complaint if school wrongly threatens with Safe at Home. That is at the school’s internal complaints committee. Or the external one, you know? They may be connected or not, and then it is the general or special committee.’

‘Ok, but I already complained. Just called the school leader and said I don’t agree with how it goes.’

‘Uh, yes that is complaining. I mean a ‘real’ complaint with a letter and all.’

‘Oh, I don’t know how to do that.’

‘Wait, do you have a pen? Ok. Listen:

• You can file a complaint about signing the blank form and the threat of Safe at Home.
• You can object to the removal of your child by the school with the school governing body and the Partnership Tailored Education if the Declaration of Admissibility is granted.

• You can start a dispute at the disputes committee because school did not do enough to support your child.
• You can report to the Education Inspectorate about not meeting the Duty of care.’

‘And you really must register with the Education consultants. They have about a month wait for intake, but after that they often do good work. You must first have been to the Partnership Tailored Education. They should have a phone number for parents. Wait, I look on the website. No, I do not see it quickly. Maybe send an email to info @swv.nl?’

‘Oh yes, when registering with the Education consultants: to get on the waiting list you must say you have been to the Partnership Tailored Education and that leaving school soon is likely. Make sure to say that! Otherwise you get rejected after a month. Also answer all questions well on their website when registering.’

‘What happens if I answer the questions wrong?’

‘Then they send you back to us again. Well, good luck and have a nice day!’