{"id":22826,"date":"2023-06-02T06:00:04","date_gmt":"2023-06-02T04:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oudersenonderwijs.nl\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/call-to-abolish-voluntary-parent-contribution-in-primary-education\/"},"modified":"2023-06-02T06:00:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T04:00:04","slug":"call-to-abolish-voluntary-parent-contribution-in-primary-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oudersenonderwijs.nl\/en\/niet-gecategoriseerd\/call-to-abolish-voluntary-parent-contribution-in-primary-education\/","title":{"rendered":"Call to abolish voluntary parent contribution in primary education"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The high school costs were already a problem for many families and due to increasing poverty this leads to greater inequality.","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":12781,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[328],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22826","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":{"samenvatting":"The high school costs were already a problem for many families and due to increasing poverty this leads to greater inequality.","banner_afbeelding":false,"banner_subtitel":"","inhoud":[{"acf_fc_layout":"inhoud_blok","afbeelding_of_video":"geen","afbeelding":false,"video":null,"intro":"The high school costs were already a problem for many families and due to increasing poverty this leads to greater inequality. Education, student, and parent organizations send the House of Representatives a letter asking to end this inequality. Laptops and tablets for school should be available free of charge to all students and according to the signing organizations the voluntary parent contribution in primary education should be fully abolished. \"If the minister takes equal opportunities seriously, he must ensure that education is accessible to all children, regardless of their parents' wallet,\" says Marco Frijlink, chairman of the VOO (Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs).","inhoud":"

In the letter<\/a> the organizations state that steps are needed to keep fundamental education affordable for all parents and to continue making extra activities possible at all schools. Marco Frijlink, chairman of Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO): \u201cGood education must be equally accessible for every child, regardless of the parents\u2019 wallet. That was an important consideration when the law for free school books was introduced and when rules about the voluntary parent contribution were tightened. Now the opposite is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Make digital learning materials free<\/h3>\n

The introduction of free school books was about fifteen years ago. Education no longer only uses books. In recent years, digital learning materials like laptops and graphic calculators have grown in use. These are not covered by this law and often costs fall on the parents. Parents mostly have to pay for devices themselves. The government wanted the law for free school books to support \u2018the gradual introduction of free education\u2019. Due to the rise of digital tools, costs for parents have actually risen again. Lobke Vlaming, director of Ouders & Onderwijs: \u201cBecause well-functioning digital learning materials are now essential at most schools, it is a logical step to expand the legal definition of free learning materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

Activities under pressure at schools with relatively more poorer families<\/h3>\n

Besides the costs for digital tools, many more costs come on parents\u2019 shoulders through the voluntary parent contribution. The private member\u2019s bill by members Westerveld and Kwint ended the exclusion of students when parents do not pay the contribution. Due to the new law, not paying the parent contribution no longer affects the student. However, in practice this lowers the barrier not to pay, especially for parents already struggling financially. Schools with more students from poorer families see purchasing power fall the most. This means extra activities for those students are now under pressure, as shown by many reactions the organizations get on this topic.<\/p>\n

Fund parent contributions from general funds in primary education<\/h3>\n

In primary education, the voluntary parent contribution concerns relatively small amounts. Marco Frijlink: \u201cAlthough we realize government funds are under pressure now, we strongly advocate abolishing the voluntary parent contribution in primary education for equal opportunities. This fits the broader vision for a rich school day.\u201d The government should add a small amount per student to school funding for this.<\/p>\n

Broader discussion about extra activities needed in secondary education<\/h3>\n

In secondary education, larger amounts and a wider range of extra activities are involved. It would be good to first get better insight into the different amounts schools ask secondary education parents and the types of activities funded. Lobke Vlaming: \u201cSome schools ask parents to contribute to trips to New York or China. Better insight into the current situation allows discussion about whether this is desirable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here too, \u2018the gradual introduction of free education\u2019 would be a good starting point. This requires a wider discussion about the more fundamental question of whether and to what extent extra activities such as excursions, foreign trips, and the education offer of profile schools belong to the core of education. For activities that belong to the core of education, government funding is logical. The VOO and other organizations call on the House of Representatives to start this discussion with the minister and education now.<\/p>\n

The organizations that signed the letter are: Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs, Ouders & Onderwijs, Reformatorische Oudervereniging, Voor Werkende Ouders, Oudervereniging Balans, LAKS, VOS\/ABB, VO-raad, PO-raad, CNV Onderwijs,\u202fAOb,\u202fLeerlingenbelang VSO and AVS.<\/em><\/p>\n

About Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs<\/h3>\n

Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs<\/a> represents the interests of staff, parents, and students. For 157 years the association has focused intensively on many themes important for education in the Netherlands, with equal opportunity the most important. The theme School & Poverty is the core theme of VOO for 2020-2025. Over 1200 school participation councils in fundamental education are members of the VOO.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"knop","knop":{"title":"Read the letter to the House of Representatives","url":"https:\/\/oudersenonderwijs.nl\/wp-admin\/upload.php?item=12770","target":""},"kleur":"primary"},{"acf_fc_layout":"knop","knop":{"title":"Read more on our theme page school costs and parent contribution","url":"https:\/\/oudersenonderwijs.nl\/kennisbank\/schoolkosten-vrijwillige-ouderbijdrage\/","target":""},"kleur":"primary"},{"acf_fc_layout":"call_to_action","selecteer_call_to_action":"gerelateerde_onderwerpen_lijst","berichten_met_prioriteit":[{"ID":22810,"post_author":"0","post_date":"2023-05-01 12:29:51","post_date_gmt":"2023-05-01 10:29:51","post_content":"","post_title":"Communication about voluntary parent contribution insufficient","post_excerpt":"Only a quarter of the school guides in secondary education clearly say that the parent contribution is voluntary. 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