Right of consent finances school board still far away
For the time being, it does not look as though participation councils in primary and secondary education will have the right of consent on the financial policy of their school board. Outgoing State Secretary Sander Dekker has withdrawn a bill to this effect. A step in the wrong direction, de AOb.
The original bill provided for a right of consent to the main aspects of the annual budget in basic education. A wish of the House of Representatives, which earlier, against the wishes of Education Minister Jet Bussemaker, arranged a similar power for works councils in MBO.
After a number of significant financial failures at educational institutions in recent years, the discussion about the checks and balances flared up. Moreover, there is growing dissatisfaction in the House of Representatives about the lack of insight into education money due to the lump sum funding. Stronger powers for the participation council force school boards to better justify their financial choices and can help prevent possible mismanagement.
Right of consultation
Last spring, Dekker opened a draft bill for internet consultation and surveyed the opinions in the field. According to the State Secretary, the proposal met with many objections, including from the administrative umbrella organizations. He then sent a less drastic version of the law to the Council of State. In it, the 'outline of the budget' has been replaced by 'outline of multi-year financial policy'. The advisory right that mrs already have on this point would then become a right of consent.
State Secretary Dekker leaves the file to his successor, who should talk to the field again in the autumn.
The Council of State already sent in December last year a critical advice back. The cabinet has not sufficiently substantiated how the right of consent relates to other powers of the participation council, according to the Council of State. It is also unclear what can be understood by the term 'outline'. The Council of State advised not to send the bill to the Lower House and to ask the education sector for input.
To heart
Dekker is happy to take that advice to heart, as appears from a letter that he only recently, during the political summer recess, to the House of Representatives. He leaves the file to his successor, who should talk to the field again in the autumn.
After that, the results will be reviewed. If the field consultation shows that the right of consent is a necessary and suitable instrument to strengthen the financial checks and balances in the context of the lump sum system and the simplification of funding in basic education, a new bill will be considered. Dekker.
Wrong way
De AOb thinks it is a step in the wrong direction and asks the House of Representatives to take action. 'The AOb wants to keep going and thinks it is an eternal sin if this valuable bill disappears into the drawer. There has already been an extensive field consultation. Several times there has been talked with all parties and there has been an internet consultation, after which the bill has already been substantially amended. We do not see what new information a field consultation will yield ', writes AObdirector Ben Hoogenboom at the House.
