Appropriate education: More Amsterdam children not attending school
The number of Amsterdam children staying home because there isn’t a suitable place for them in the education system is on the rise. Last school year, 1,063 children in Amsterdam did not attend school for four weeks or longer, Parool reported based on Amsterdam’s annual Compulsory Education report.
The number of children not attending school hasn’t been that high in years, according to the newspaper. Reasons for being unable to go to school range from autism and anxiety to learning difficulties and physical disabilities.
In 2014, the Appropriate Education Act took effect. It stipulates that all children must be able to attend a school in their neighborhood, with additional help and support if needed. The school is responsible for arranging a suitable place for the child. But in practice, this often doesn’t work.
The Education Consumers Organization (OCO), Client Interest Amsterdam, and Youth Platform Amsterdam have written an urgent letter asking the municipality to intervene. They warn of “dire situations” and a system that is opaque and impossible to manage for many parents. Children are still being wrongly rejected because they need extra help, support at school is often inadequate, and parents receive insufficient guidance.
The consequences of not going to school can be dire, the organizations wrote. Children become isolated, fall behind in their learning, and lose confidence in school. Parents get trapped between bureaucratic procedures and the pressure to find solutions themselves.
“Absenteeism is often a harbinger of more serious problems,” Floor Kaspers of OCO told the newspaper. “When simple signals are not recognized, complex situations can arise.”
The spokesperson for Amsterdam’s education alderman, Sofyan Mbarki, confirmed to Parool that truancy is a growing problem. “The increase is very worrying and has a major impact on both the children and young people themselves and their families. The municipality is therefore taking the message from these parties very seriously.” The spokesperson spoke of a “complex problem” that impacts education and youth care.
“We are committed to inclusive education, where children are seen and accepted, and they can receive the care and support they need nearby,” the spokesperson said.
