Over the past year, the Zonova school group received several reports and signals from those involved about the misconduct of the former director. Since May 2025, the board of the school group has held discussions with parents, employees and children about the former director.
From 2009, the director led De Bijlmerhorst primary school, and in 2020 he started working at De Polsstok Primary School. Both are located on Egoli street in the E neighborhood and are two of the nineteen primary schools of the Zonova school group.
The school group held discussions because it had become clear that “the pain caused by the former director was still great two years later,” Zonova said in a press release. These discussions intensified after it emerged this summer that the former director had been suspended from his new position in Almere.
Inactive
After leaving Zuidoost, the director started working at the special primary school De Watertuin in Almere. He was suspended there last summer for unexplained reasons, the local newspaper reported Almere This Week in August.
The police are investigating the reports, a spokesperson said. He cannot yet say anything about the exact nature and seriousness of the events. A number of (direct) people involved have now also filed a report against the former school director. People who have been victims or witnesses of serious misconduct are guided by Zonova towards the police.
“Don’t look away”
“Our children deserve nothing less than our full commitment. Where full support may have previously been lacking, we now want to offer it,” says Dave Ensberg-Kleijkers, director of Zonova. “We will do everything we can to try to alleviate the suffering of both children and parents, but also (former) employees. I do not look away from what happened.”
The school group has set up an internal reporting point. Children, parents and (former) employees can also contact Victim Support and confidential counselors, such as a teacher. In addition, Zonova, in collaboration with the municipality, has appointed an upper-school coordinator who must promote safety in and around the schools.