Council of State: Islamic school to Westland after all
Minister Slob was allowed to intervene to force the arrival of the Islamic school in Westland. That is what the Council of State said in a ruling today. Slob intervened, because the city council continued to oppose the arrival of the school despite court rulings. The Dutch highest court agrees with him.
Picture: National government
It was mainly the local parties within the city council, Westland Verwijs, LPF Westland and GemeenteBelang Westland, who strongly oppose the Islamic school. These parties form a majority. The Yunus Emre school foundation with four schools in The Hague was already busy for a while setting up a new Islamic primary school. Initially, Slob and his predecessor Sander Dekker were not eager for a new Islamic school and they said there was not enough interest in it.
After legal proceedings, Yunus Emre was right: the school was allowed to enter the Westland and the minister must pay for the school. According to the administrative court and the Primary Education Act, the municipal council was also obliged to include the school in the 'plan of schools 2020-2023'. The city council settled there after several calls from the minister.
Measure
This meant that Minister Slob had to carry out a 'substitution'. A measure with which he takes a decision before the city council. The Council of State now decides that this was the right decision. According to the Council of State, the minister has complied with all legal rules when making his decision.
The ruling of the highest court definitively ensures that the Islamic school is given a place in the 'plan of schools' and that the school is paid for by the Ministry of Education.
