This school year, about 3,300 schools have already requested financial support from the Youth Education Fund for these types of activities, considerably more than a year earlier. The total costs rose to millions of euros and continue to increase.<\/p>\n
An important cause is that schools receive less money through the voluntary parent contribution. At schools where many parents have difficulty making ends meet, this contribution is more often (partly) unpaid.<\/p>\n
At the same time, since 2021 schools may no longer exclude children from activities if parents do not pay. This is good for equal opportunities but also creates a difficult puzzle. Income decreases, while all students must be able to participate.<\/p>\n
As a result, differences between schools increase. Schools with parents who can contribute more, organize more (expensive) activities. Other schools have to cut back or even stop outings.<\/p>\n
For many children, a school trip is more than just a fun day out. It is a chance to gain new experiences and to be outside the daily environment for a while. Some students hardly come out of their own neighborhood without school.<\/p>\n
That is why schools and other organizations are concerned: these activities contribute to the development of children and to equal opportunities.<\/p>\n
Ouders & Onderwijs believes it is important that all children can participate, regardless of the financial situation at home. Therefore, we believe that:<\/p>\n
Yet we still see that schools are sometimes dependent on these contributions in practice. If insufficient money is raised, this can lead to activities being adjusted or canceled. We find this worrying. Because it means that precisely at schools where children benefit most from extra activities, the offer is under pressure.<\/p>\n