School may not exclude a child for parental contribution
The child of parents who cannot cough up the voluntary parental contribution at school should not be excluded from field trips or other activities. Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed a law that clearly states that the voluntary parental contribution is really voluntary.
Picture: Type tank
Except for the Forum for Democracy, voted the entire House of Representatives yesterday with the law of MPs Lisa Westerveld (GroenLinks) and Peter Kwint (SP).
Some primary, secondary or special education schools exclude children from activities if their parents are unable to pay the voluntary parental contribution. Think of school trips, Christmas celebrations, trips abroad, but also extracurricular activities such as tutoring or excursions. The employers' organization PO council received in the past year, about ten reports were received from schools excluding children from activities because of their parents' wallets.
Intermediate schools asked in 2017 about 50 euros in parental contribution. That amount had risen by more than 20 percent in five years. In 2013, the average was still 41 euros.
Unacceptable
According to the MPs, the current rules allow students to be excluded. Kwint and Westerveld hope to use the law to combat these 'unacceptable practices' and thereby also increase the equal opportunities. Due to this law, a high voluntary parental contribution will serve less as a pre-selection for a particular pupil population, the MPs write an explanation by law. Schools are no longer allowed to exclude children, so if parents cannot pay the contribution, students will no longer notice this. 'This removes an important reason for enrolling children at the most desired school', the MPs write in the explanation. 'This law ensures that all children can participate,' says Westerveld. 'Of course this will not solve all the inequality of opportunity, but we are taking a nice step with this.'
As a result of this law, a high voluntary parental contribution will serve less as a pre-selection for a specific pupil population
School guide
From now on, schools are obliged to state the amount of the contribution in the school guide and emphasize in that guide that it is a voluntary contribution. Minister Slob previously also thought that students should not be excluded, but did not want to change the laws and regulations. He looked for the solution in better information and rules of conduct. The MPs think that this does not go far enough and decided to write a private member's bill. Also the AOb was standing behind the law and called on MPs along with other educational organizations to agree to it.
First room
The Senate still has to consider the law. Kwint and Westerveld hope to be able to enter into a debate with the Senate as soon as possible.
