News item | 03-10-2023 | 3:00 PM
The situation in education for newcomers requires action. Municipalities and schools have repeatedly raised the alarm to provide children with education as quickly as possible. It is now estimated that more than 2,000 newcomers of compulsory education are currently at home or in crisis shelter without education. The Senate today approved the bill for temporary newcomer facilities in education. The law will come into effect from the beginning of October. From that moment on, teachers, school and municipal authorities will have more room for appropriate solutions when organizing the education of newcomers, if the local situation requires it.
Newcomers have the right to education just like all other children and young people. Through newcomer facilities, we offer students a place if they wait too long for education. A temporary newcomer facility is connected to an existing school. A facility can be a class within a school building, but can also consist of one or more groups at a temporary location. Education looks different from regular education. This means fewer hours of teaching may be taught.
Minister Paul (Primary and Secondary Education):
“Every child in the Netherlands has the right to education, including children of newcomers. We are currently unable to provide all these children with good education. This new law helps schools and municipalities to set up temporary newcomer facilities. In this way, together we ensure that these children also go to school.”
Annual consultation between municipalities and schools
The bill contains an obligation for municipal and school boards to consult annually and make joint agreements about the education of newcomers. In addition, the minister is authorized, at the request of the mayor and aldermen or ex officio, to determine that one or more temporary newcomer facilities can or must be set up in that municipality. A student may never stay in a temporary newcomer facility for more than two years and will move on to regular (newcomer) education as quickly as possible.
Adapted education program
The program always consists of at least 12.5 hours of education per week spread over three or more teaching days. These facilities for newcomers are given the opportunity by law to adjust the education program if they cannot manage the staffing levels.
Students learn the Dutch language at least ten hours a week, whereby it is possible to also pay attention to Dutch in other (core) subjects, for example during arithmetic lessons. In primary education, there must be qualified teachers in the classroom for the core subjects (Dutch language and arithmetic). For the other subjects, this may also include teacher training students, secondary school teachers and educational assistants. In secondary education, the existing options apply to appoint unauthorized personnel to the classroom under certain conditions. Once they have mastered the Dutch language, students move on to regular education as quickly as possible.