ECNAIS

National Report

  1. Name of  Association

Verenigde Bijzondere Scholen ( Association of Independent Schools )

  1. Country

Netherlands

  1. Year

2005

  1. Prepared by

Simon Steen

  1. New national legislation for independent schools:

Please describe new laws which are in force or are being prepared.

In addition to the report of the Besturenraad

    • Education for children with special needs on the basis of the responsibility of the school board for an appropriate offer for each child in cooperation with other school boards in the region if necessary
    • Responsibility of the school board for taking care for the children on working days from 7.30 till 18.30 hour
    • New general outlines for legislation as an serious attempt to reduce the burden of bureaucracy for schools caused by national  laws and regulations
  1. National discussions:

Discussions about the situation of the independent schools.

Does the discussions take place in the media, if yes, which questions are raised.

In addition to the report of the Besturenraad

  • Is there nowadays still a justification for the different treatment of public and private (fully subsidized by the government) schools in legislation and governance looking to the state of art in the process of  privatization of public schools
  • Are private schools in itself not a stimulus for (ethnic/religious )segregation in society
  1. Situation of the Association:

Progress, stagnation, decline.

Problems, challenges for the Association.

The number of schools and their pupils is stable.

  1. Independent schools in general.

Growth or decline?

The schools’ financial situation?

stable

the financial situation is not bad but could be improved to meet the new demands of education in modern society.

  1. Special initiatives:

Has the Association during the past year made any particular initiatives in order to promote the work in the independent schools?

We have started a project together with the largest union of teachers in the Netherlands to strengthen the role of the teacher as professional in the process of school development. Central part of this project is the start of 5 pilots with Cooperatives of teachers.

  1. Other relevant information.

Starting 2006 a new organisation will be started to take care of the financial and employers affairs of the secondary schools. All schoolboards of state schools and private schools will be members. The VBS will concentrate on the interests of schools as pedagogical entrepreneurs with the different approach..