Alderman for education concerned about the Blick school foundation
The municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel is concerned about the public school board Blick op Education Foundation. A report from the Berenschot consultancy has not been able to allay the concerns. The researchers warn against financial risks and the participation council does not seem to be properly involved in decisions.
Image: Front Berenschot report
'We wanted to get the facts straight in everyone's interest. Unfortunately, our concerns about the Blick foundation have not been allayed ', says education alderman Dick van Sluis a press release. The school foundation manages a total of ten primary and secondary schools for public education in the municipalities of Krimpen- and Capelle aan den IJssel.
Last January, the Board of B&W decided to conduct an independent investigation into the school board because worrying signals had been received about the financial position, management culture and employee participation. Berenschot conducted the investigation, but also writes that the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board did not want to cooperate. 'The Supervisory Board and the Executive Board indicate that there are no problems. They believe that the municipality is taking on the supervisor's role too much', the researchers write. The Executive Board of the Blick Foundation refrains from commenting.
Different forecasts
In the report concludes the consultancy that the student forecasts for 2018-2020 in secondary education deviate significantly from the forecasts of government agency DUO. This is a difference of 15 to 38 percent, which is not explained in the long-term budget. 'Blick is taking a financial risk with this,' writes education alderman Van Sluis. 'The education subsidy is based on DUO's predictions.'
Berenschot also examined the corporate culture and the functioning of the employee participation body. The consultancy concludes that Blick's Joint Participation Council (gmr) for primary education is insufficiently involved in decisions. For example, according to the rules, a formal meeting was not held twice a year with the Supervisory Board and the long-term budget did not comply with the right of advice and consent.
Straight
The concerns of education alderman Van Sluis have increased further because the GMR for primary education has given up its confidence in the supervisory board in April. The relationship had become too bad, as appears from the letter that also comes with the documents the website of the municipality of Capelle aan den IJssel. 'The gmr experiences the way in which participation is interpreted by the competent authority as unworkable. The parties are now diametrically opposed to each other," said the gmr. Blick's supervisory board says it does not recognize itself in the allegations and has stated in an earlier statement that it still supports the Executive Board.
The quality of education has not been compromised. The Education Inspectorate has not seen any shortcomings. Education alderman Van Sluis says in his press release that he wants to talk to the school board about the results of the research.
