Parents increasingly opting for smaller, private schools

Small private schools are gaining popularity in the Netherlands, partly fueled by the coronavirus pandemic. Parents are increasingly opting for these small-scale alternatives to regular education, AD reports.

According to figures from the Education Inspectorate, the number of small private schools has doubled in the past five years. In 2018, the Netherlands counted 58 such schools in primary education and 10 in secondary education. On June 1, that had increased to 101 primary schools and 39 secondary schools.

According to the Inspectorate, the coronavirus fueled this development. On the one hand, parents wanted to send their kids to less crowded locations. On the other, “parents saw that their children learned differently, and sometimes faster” when the coronavirus lockdowns removed them from classrooms.

Small private schools respond to this by promoting an alternative way of education, sometimes according to their own way of life, worldview, or upbringing, AD found when speaking to initiators. For example, the Natuurschuur in Wieringewaard focuses on allowing children to experience peace, nature, and space. The Renaissance School Almere is affiliated with the far-right party FvD and follows that ideology. And De Tijd en Ruimte in Den Bosch lets kids direct their learning process and gives them a say in the school's management.

According to the Education Inspectorate, many small private schools strive for education that involves learning based on pupils’ motivation. They encourage more input from the child, learning in mixed age groups, and more involvement from parents. There is also a lot of focus on respect for society and nature.

In secondary education, private schools often work with extended transition classes and many electives. Only at the end of the lower years does the child choose the profile for their final years in secondary education that best suits their interests and abilities.

Despite the increased popularity, private education is still much smaller than regular education in the Netherlands. Less than 0.1 percent of all pupils in the Netherlands attend a private school. The country counts over 6,500 primary schools and 641 secondary education institutions.