Parents of PVO school in Hoorn fight for preservation: “Save the dreams of our children!”

The initiators ask, among other things, in an open letter to sign the petition, which has now been signed more than 700 times. A delegation of three parents, who do not want to be named for various reasons, tells the editors that all parents support the preservation of the school in Hoorn. They are surprised that it was reported last week that the school may be adopted or must cease to exist.

According to them, the last word has not yet been said about this. The participation council must also make a decision about it. “They must approve whether administrative cooperation with Atlas College is possible. If there is a threat of dismantling, they will not agree to this. In that case, the school will continue to fall under the current Pvo board.”

Weak assessments and low student numbers

The parents say they can live with it if the current school form falls under a new board. “But at last week’s information evening it seemed as if there were other plans. It was a vague story, which does not seem well thought out. Or, on the contrary, well thought out, to let the school bleed to death. That is why we want to take action now and let people see that this form of education has a future, also in Hoorn.”

The parents recognize the weak assessment of the education inspectorate and see that something needs to be done. Specialist help has been called in for this. The quality of education, pedagogical-didactic actions and safety have now been assessed as sufficient by the inspectorate in the recovery report. The school still falls short on two points. “We expect this to be approved at the next inspection.”

They also do not yet see the low number of students, which means that the Hoorn school founded in 2019 does not meet a so-called maintenance standard, as a problem. “What has hardly happened in recent years is – strangely enough – the recruitment of students. So many children and parents are not familiar with the concept of the school.”

In the coming school year, if the school can continue in its current form, it will add a sixth class for pre-university education students. “This means that the school can be seen as fully grown, after which we have three years to meet the standard of 358 students.”

Unique form of teaching: personal attention

The parents are full of praise for the school’s unique form of teaching, including the small classes, the personal attention for students and the lesson layout. “Classes consist of approximately 16 students. In principle, there is no care supervision. But thanks to small classes, more guidance from teachers and good contact with parents, they can do well.”

“There is no dropout or break time, because there is always a teacher in front of the class. A lot of rest and regularity is built into the lessons. “The lessons are also organized differently. After a standard 40-minute lesson, another 45 minutes are spent on homework, with the teacher present to provide guidance,” explains one of the parents. “Not only the students themselves, but also parents support this approach. At which school do you still see that?”

Open Days and letter to parents of primary school students

This coming weekend, on February 2 and 3, there will be Open Days. The parents of the PVO school have sent a letter of invitation to parents of children in groups 7 and 8 in Hoorn. “Every child must make a well-considered choice. In our case, our child chose this school himself,” explains a parent. “That was exciting at first, because it was a new type of school. He has now been going there with great pleasure for years.”

Regardless of the educational board and the school, the parents themselves are taking up the fight. “Why are so many parents so active to prevent possible closure? Because we have no other choice! There is no alternative in the area that compares to Pvo, so we see no other option than to give everything for conservation.”

“It is not without reason that they come to the school from miles around,” adds another parent. “That also says something. And it means that there is great potential for students from West Friesland and beyond.”