Waiting lists for special education.

Waiting lists for special education.

Last year the ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) researched the increasing waiting lists for schools in special education. In this news article you read more about the outcome of this research.

How many waiting lists are there now?  

On 1 October 2023 the status of waiting lists in special education was measured. The research was done among 375 schools for special education across the Netherlands. Of the schools asked, 84 (22%) do have a waiting list and 289 (77%) do not have a waiting list. At the 84 schools with a waiting list this concerns about 700 students.

A large part of the students on a waiting list must wait longer than six months. They can only start after the summer holiday (in the new school year). Most of them stay at the school where they already were. A small group of students are at home because of these long waiting times.

OCW has calculated the results. This calculation shows there are 1630 students on a waiting list for special education. Some of these students already have a granted Declaration of Admissibility or indication and are officially on a placement waiting list.

Why are there waiting lists in special education? 

In OCW’s research schools were asked why they have a waiting list. One cause is the teacher shortage at school. There are not enough teachers to place every student with a teacher or class. These students end up on the waiting list until there is space.

The research also shows that there is more and more need for special education. This results in more registrations at schools for special education. Reasons for this can be: the impact of corona or social media, (divorces with fights), poverty or population growth.

Finally, schools say that children are often referred too late to special education. Because schools for regular education try to support the student themselves for a long time, the support need of the child has grown. This means schools for special education have too little time to arrange a good place for a child.

Tailored Education For Every Child

To reduce the waiting lists schools propose different solutions. More attention to available space in the classroom, raising the maximum number of students a school may have and training suitable staff are mentioned most.  

Many schools want to improve the referral process to special education. By signing up children on time (for example before the summer holiday) so the school can prepare well for the coming school year. There also must be a good look at the facilities a school can offer. Some children end up at a school that cannot give them the right help.  

Schools in regular education can also help. By training staff in certain areas of support, fewer children may need to go to special education. If a student can be helped in regular education, this reduces referrals to special education.   

Is your child on a waiting list? Or do you have questions about waiting lists? Then contact our advice point.

Do you want to share your opinion about, for example, waiting lists, education quality, Tailored Education and other important topics? Then sign up for the research ‘Staat van de Ouder 2024’ and make your voice heard in education and in politics.