VO

Closing Dominicus College not final yet

The Participation Council of the Dominicus College in Nijmegen has appealed against the decision of the Disputes Committee on the closure of the school. The Enterprise Chamber in Amsterdam will assess whether the committee has acted correctly. As a result, the closure of the school is not yet final.

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Because the number of students in the Nijmegen region is declining, school umbrella organization @voCampus took the decision in March to close the Dominicus College. There is also no room here for the Monnikskap, the department for students with a disability or chronic illness. The intended closure led to fierce protests of students, parents and the participation council. The concept where students with and without disabilities follow HAVO/VWO together is unique in the Netherlands.

The mr of the Dominicus College decided to challenge the closure with the national committee on education disputes. In its decision of 29 August, the committee ruled that the board could reasonably reach its decision. The decision to close the school as of 2024 can therefore be upheld.

"It seems that the disputes committee has written a hasty decision and has not taken important procedural documents into account"

The mr is of the opinion that the board has not acted carefully from the start. Initially, @voCampus wanted to merge Dominicus with Kandinsky College. The night before this plan in newspaper the Gelderlander the parents were quickly informed in writing.

“The committee has not considered the procedural objections of the participation council”, says mr-chairman Karima Coenders, who is also a lawyer in addition to being a parent. In addition, the statement contains factual inaccuracies. It seems that the Disputes Committee has written a hasty decision and has not considered important procedural documents.”

'Not to late'

According to her, it is not too late to prevent the closure. “There have been several statements that a school could still remain open, and that quality education can be offered even with fewer students. This is at the risk of directors who make careless decisions. We lack the will of the board to find a solution with the mr.”

Ten years ago, the Dominicus was modified for millions to make inclusive education possible. For example, automatic doors, rest areas and lifts have been installed so that students with and without disabilities can follow education together. The mr says he is open to all acceptable solutions for students and staff, while preserving the philosophy of the Dominicus College.

The hearing will take place at the Enterprise Chamber of the Court of Appeal in Amsterdam within eight weeks, and the verdict will follow approximately four weeks later.

See also: Disputes committee approves Dominicus closure , Minister guarantees the survival of Monkshood en The Dominicus is worth fighting for

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