MP's want to intervene in schools where religion clashes with democracy
Several parliamentarians in the Netherlands have expressed concern over the conflict between religious and democratic values at certain schools, as reported by Nieuwsuur on Monday. During a debate on primary education, Marleen Haage (GroenLinks-PvdA) and Ilana Rooderkerk (D66) emphasized that education must not violate Article 1 of the Constitution.
On Monday, Nieuwsuur reported that some Reformed and Islamic schools reject homosexuality or dispute the theory of evolution. At these schools, religious teachings are presented alongside democratic values, meaning children are told that everyone is equal while also being taught that women should be subordinate to men.
Rooderkerk argues that permitting schools to teach discriminatory lessons “as long as they include some attention to democratic values” is insufficient. She said that children are unable to reconcile these conflicting messages. “Children should not be taught discrimination,” said Haage. “Action must be taken against this.”
During the debate, Don Ceder (ChristenUnie) and Doğukan Ergin (DENK) both said that democratic values must be safeguarded in schools, but that schools should also be allowed to have their own input, for example, regarding religious values.
“Islamic schools teach Islamic values alongside democratic values,” Ergin explained. He noted that, according to the education inspectorate, there has long been no evidence of conflicting values at Islamic schools.
Ceder argues that the education inspectorate must step in if schools teach that men and women are not equal. However, he believes it is the school’s prerogative to teach that men and women may have distinct roles.
Koen Becking, the caretaker State Secretary for Primary Education, emphasized that democratic principles outweigh the freedom of education. Asked by Ergin, the VVD official noted that he is not aware of any schools where these democratic values are currently being breached.
In April, the inspectorate reported that many schools struggle with citizenship lessons, and their quality is not always up to standard. The inspectorate said this needs to improve. Becking confirmed that he had received the same feedback from the inspectorate.
