He also cites the revival of anti-Semitism, hatred of Jews, as a cause. But according to him, the spread of disinformation and the revival of right-wing populist movements also have a major influence. Van Berkel explicitly mentions the recent election results of the PVV. According to him, as a teacher you should not impose your political opinion, but as a teacher you should not push aside your own opinion when it comes to protecting the political constitutional state.
He did this conspicuously in the presence of Mariëlle Paul, Minister for Primary and Secondary Education (VVD). Her party is currently in discussions with the PVV about a new cabinet. “One of the things on the list to discuss, from what I understood from the informant, is the democratic constitutional state. I am very happy with that,” says Paul. “That democratic constitutional state and what it means to have freedom and live safely, that is something that I think it is important that we as adults understand. And also that we pass that on to future generations. That is why a day like today in which teachers and scientists engage in conversation, so important.”
Van Berkel calls cultural tradition, such as monuments, a tool for use in education. Minco also looks at its own organization when tackling anti-Semitism. Not only did she open the doors to visitors for free earlier this year, she also has the ambition to welcome more school classes. While the organization now guides 30,000 students, it wants to increase that number to 50,000 in the future.