In-school segregation reduced

By Maxime Zech on May 19, 2014 - 10:25
School
Pearson Sixth-grade Center student Valentine Maru listens to instructions from her math teacher Nick Dahlen during the first day of school, Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012 in Shakopee, Minn. The school is new and only for the sixth-graders. (AP Photo/Star Tribune,. ()

Segregation in primary schools in the Netherlands has decreased lightly, according to research from Forum, the institute for multicultural questions, under 36 of the Netherlands' biggest municipalities, Trouw reports. 

Pilots for a more even distribution of children based on ethnicity at schools in 12 municipalities have contributed especially to this unprecedented reduction in segregation.

Forum does warn, however, that if nobody does anything, the dichotomy between white and black schools will grow in the coming years.

School governing boards have little attention for fighting against segregation, according to the Telegraaf. Municipalities do not believe in mixed schools anymore, and the Cabinet is doing nothing.

"The pilots show that we can fight segregation", says education expert Zeki Arslan of Forum. "But the plug is out now, the ministry does not see a role for itself anymore in the fight against segregation."

Tags: