Primary schools may open a week earlier next year
Under pressure from parties in the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said tonight that if the infections decrease quickly enough, it will be examined whether primary education can be opened a week earlier.
Picture: livestream House of Representatives
It's a confusing pledge on the day when thousands of primary schools are working hard to ramp up online education for the rest of the week and especially after the Christmas holidays, AOb.
During the corona debate in the House of Representatives, primary education was discussed for a long time. Various parties see insufficient substantiation for the closure of schools for children up to the age of twelve. "If the goal is for parents to work from home, then action must be taken," says Jesse Klaver of GroenLinks. "Not letting children go to school for that reason is too high a price."
Klaver thus referred to Minister Hugo de Jonge who said yesterday evening in the NPO1 program Facts and fables about the corona virus that primary schools will be closed because, among other things, 'the parents have to work from home'.
Using children as living anklets is going a bit far
The ChristenUnie called the closure of primary schools in today's debate 'a bone in the throat'. Gert-Jan Segers: "It is difficult, but ultimately acceptable." Rob Jetten of D66 joked: "Children can sometimes be a hindrance, but using them as a living ankle bracelet, our group goes a bit too far."
Contact moments
Prime Minister Mark Rutte tried to defend the cabinet's choice differently than De Jonge did yesterday evening. He especially insisted that the number of movements and contact moments in the Netherlands should be reduced en masse. "One and a half million children who go from home to school or daycare every day, the parents, the teachers there, that's too many at the moment."
Nevertheless, he eventually promised that 'if everything goes well and the infections fall so quickly that we can take the risk of old and new, it will be examined whether primary schools can open a week earlier'. A teacher responded on Twitter: 'Stop, stop, stop. This woman has just worked 36 hours to properly arrange / respond to homeschooling in the coming weeks, including emergency care and 3685 messages from parents. And now they come up with this...??? Man man man.'
Let the cabinet be clear
AObchairman Eugenie Stolk: “What Hugo de Jonge put forward as an argument yesterday is crooked. And of course it would be very nice if parts of the education could be reopened earlier. But please let the cabinet be clear at the moment. ”
Exceptions
After all, there are still many questions about what was announced yesterday, according to Stolk. Especially when it comes to the exceptions in secondary education. Practical education, for example, continues as usual, just like secondary special education. But 'practice-oriented' education in VMBO must also take place at school. Just like all lessons for exam students, and the school exams for students in the pre-exam year.
Not everyone is aware of this yet, says Stolk. “We receive examples of schools that make very different choices about this. For example, by providing online education for final exam students. Which in turn raises a lot of questions and questions among parents and students, but also among the staff. ”
Stolk: “I would like to ask the cabinet not to change decisions taken immediately again. Teachers and students have worked extremely hard in the past period and are still preparing for the coming weeks today. Give them a quiet Christmas holiday. ”
Also read: 'Many questions in MBO and HBO about the lockdown'
And check the frequently asked questions from education staff about corona.
