Surge in expat students strains Eindhoven schools as language funding plummets
The Brainport region in Eindhoven is experiencing a surge in international students, with the number expected to nearly double over the next decade due to the rapid expansion of tech companies like ASML. Currently, schools are teaching children who only speak languages such as Hindi or Korean, but despite this growth, government funding for international and language education is being cut, NOS reports.
At Salto International School RISE, a bilingual primary school in Eindhoven, students rehearse their final musical. Teacher Tamara Mehl told NOS, “Because parents mainly speak English and most understand little Dutch, we do the texts in English. But the songs are in Dutch.” The school provides half of its lessons in Dutch and half in English, aimed specifically at children from abroad. Since 2019, enrollment has jumped from 24 to 650 students across two locations, according to school director Krista Sijbers.
Regular primary schools are also seeing an influx of international students. At ’t Slingertouw, a school on the opposite side of Eindhoven, teacher Marjolein Brands told NOS, “With ASML, many expats have come. We used to have 10 percent non-Dutch-speaking children; now it’s over 60 percent.” The region’s international student population is projected to grow from about 18,000 in 2022 to 32,000 by 2032.
Eindhoven’s education alderman, Stijn Steenbakkers (CDA), acknowledged the challenge, stating, “This is in principle not just a local issue; the national government also has a responsibility.” Steenbakkers, who chairs a task force addressing education in the expanding region, noted the growth affects 21 municipalities, complicating coordination.
Despite the rising number of international students, funding for language education has dropped sharply. Bjorn Houben, director of ’t Slingertouw, told NOS his school’s budget for this group fell from 200,000 euros annually to just 75,000 euros, resulting in fewer teachers and lower educational quality.
Salto International School also faces significant funding cuts. Director Sijbers said, “The national language subsidy for teaching Dutch to newcomers has disappeared. For our two locations, that was 1.5 million euros per year.” To compensate, the school doubled the parental contribution from 400 to 800 euros, with new students paying 1,000 euros. Sijbers added, “The assumption is that parents working at ASML, Philips, or other major companies can afford this. But many parents here do not have those high expat contracts. And moving here means finding housing, which isn’t cheap either.”
The SALTO school board issued a letter warning, “Growth is faster than expected. How do we ensure Brainport invests not only in museums, housing, and mobility but also in sustainable, inclusive education solutions for the future?”
Steenbakkers stressed the municipality is willing to support schools and is reportedly investing nearly 250 million euros in new school construction. “But this is basically not a local issue; the national government must take responsibility too,” he told NOS.
The Ministry of Education told NOS that schools received temporary extra funding for language and newcomer support after the pandemic. The ministry said it is up to school boards to manage within their budgets. For schools like Salto International School, additional contributions from parents or their employers are also expected.
