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School inspectors have launched an investigation into the proliferation of private schools in the Netherlands to find out what is causing the trend, which is feared could be contributing to the creation of a “two-class society”.
The survey data shows that the number of private schools has doubled in the past two years, with 99 private primary schools and 43 private secondary schools in the country. In 2015, only 44 schools received no government funding.
In 2023, about 2,100 children out of a total student population of 2.3 million attend private schools, a 30% increase from 2022. Most private schools have no more than 15 students.
Most private schools are small and based on a specific educational philosophy, such as a holistic worldview or personal growth. Tuition fees can be as high as €20,000 per year.
Anyone can set up a private school as long as they meet legal requirements, such as having qualified teachers on hand. Courses in reading, writing, numeracy and civics must meet national standards. Classrooms must also meet certain standards, although some schools are so small that a kitchen table is enough.
“Parents often choose private schools because of their philosophy, their views on society, or because they prefer a different approach to education,” Sjerp van der Ploeg, who led the survey, told reporters. Fidelity“Other children go there because they don’t have access to formal education or have not been to school for a long time,” he said.
Mr van der Ploeg said he could not explain the rapid rise of private schools. “There are still very few children in private education at the moment, so it is difficult to judge the trend,” he said. He said parents may be more critical of formal schools and that regulations on setting up private schools have been relaxed in recent years.
PO-Raad, the primary school advisory committee, said it was concerned about the growing demand for private schools, which it said was caused by a shortage of teachers and underfunding of regular schools. “Not all parents can afford tuition fees, which leads to social polarisation and inequality of opportunity,” a spokesman told the newspaper.
How private schools affect student performance is unclear, Vanderploeg said, because they enroll only a small number of children, some of whom would not thrive in regular schools. Vanderploeg’s earlier research showed no negative social impact of private schools. “They may have fewer classmates, but they play sports and have a lot of friends where they live. So they are not isolated,” he said.
The results of the investigation are expected to be released by the end of the year.
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