News item | 15-04-2022 | 12:31
The director of 8 Schools for Personal Education must resign as soon as possible. Minister Wiersma (primary and secondary education) has decided this after a new inspection report. If the director does not do this, the minister can stop transferring money. These measures are exceptional but necessary, because a lot is wrong in the schools and there is no longer trust in this driver.
Minister Wiersma: “When you attend one of these schools, you don’t always get the education you deserve. No matter how hard you try. That is not fair and unacceptable. The administrators of these schools are more occupied with conducting lawsuits than with improving the quality of education. I feel this driver neglects his job and is not worthy of trust. That’s why I’m doing everything I can to get this driver away. Because the students at these schools deserve better.”
Financial mismanagement
In a new report that the Inspectorate was allowed to publish today, the judge found maladministration. The administration is not in order and schools could no longer pay their bills independently, let alone invest in good education.
€ 22.5 million was also spent on matters for which education funds are not intended. A large part of that amount has been invested in school buildings owned by foundations of the director. The Inspectorate cannot check these foundations. That is not allowed and therefore it must be paid back. The administrator can prevent this, for example, by ensuring that the school regains ownership of the buildings.
Moreover, between 2018 and 2020, parents paid about €2.2 million in parental contributions. Parents have transferred that money for language trips and school costs, but the administrator has also spent this money on buildings that do not (or no longer) belong to the school boards.
Declaration
The Inspectorate filed a report against this driver in March because of the suspicion of one or more criminal offences. These suspicions are based on research into the housing of the schools and the associated transactions
Very weak
Previous Inspectorate reports show that the quality of education at these schools is insufficient on several points. 3 out of 8 schools are even very weak. For example, last year at the school in Utrecht, the Inspectorate established that pupils who needed more explanation and guidance were not given this, as a result of which their development is stagnating. Also, a plan is only made for students who need extra help if the student gets stuck – too late, because that must be prevented. Moreover, the school board and school management do not pay attention to this, while they must according to the law.
Closure threatens in Utrecht
The school in Utrecht has been assessed as very weak for the second time in a row and is therefore now receiving less funding. If the situation there does not improve quickly, the minister will stop funding from next school year. In practice, this means that the students have to go to another school.
“That is of course not fun, because you want to go to your own school with your friends. But it’s much worse if you get a bad education. That is why I call on the driver to resign, so that the school can improve and remain open,” said the minister.
The concerns are greatest in Utrecht, but a similar scenario threatens the schools in Hoorn and Amsterdam, which are also very weak.
Appoint another director
According to the law, the current director has a maximum of 4 weeks to respond to the instruction that the minister wishes to take. After that, the final designation is given and the director has 4 weeks to appoint an interim director. The driver must have left the vehicle no later than 2 weeks later.