News item | 29-08-2022 | 17:00
The board of the Islamic School Amsterdam Foundation (ISA) must resign as soon as possible. This was decided by education minister Dennis Wiersma after a new inspection report. This shows that there is financial mismanagement, unlawful enrichment and unlawful conduct. There is no confidence that this board can solve it, which is why Wiersma is taking this heavy measure.
Minister Wiersma (Primary and Secondary Education): ,,You have to get a good foundation at school, in order to be able to lead your life independently. But this school board seems to be mainly fighting each other out. A lot of things have not gone well at this foundation for a long time and the students are the victims of this. That’s why I intervene now. A new board must be put in place as soon as possible that gives priority to the well-being of the children and good education.”
Maladministration
The Inspectorate concluded that there was financial mismanagement, unlawful enrichment and unlawful conduct. The administrative organization and internal control are not in order and the board is not taking any measures to improve this. There is a high degree of interdependence between the school and the foundations for student transport and weekend schools, which leads to an unlawful enrichment of both foundations. The Inspectorate also expresses no confidence in the board’s ability to resolve this.
New board
In response to the draft report, the board acknowledged the mismanagement, but did not resign. That is why Wiersma announces an instruction, the most severe measure that the minister can impose on schools. There must be a new interim board to put things in order, in the interest of the students. If the current board does not cooperate, it will no longer receive government money and the schools will have to close.
Less money
In addition, the school board will be imposed a financial sanction, a monthly suspension of 15 percent of the funding, because it has not carried out the repair orders of the inspectorate. The Inspectorate will also reclaim the money that was spent illegally, almost 3 tons (298,417.47 euros). Withholding funding, a next step in the sanctions process, can be prevented by completing the repair orders as yet.
Procedure
The inspection report of the Inspectorate was definitively adopted on 17 August and, in accordance with the legal deadlines, will not be made public before 19 September (the fifth week after the final adoption). However, because the conclusions of the Inspectorate have already been published via Het Parool, the Minister has opted to immediately disclose the proposed measures. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is now preparing an instruction in consultation with the State Attorney. According to the law, the board then has 4 weeks to respond, after which the final instruction is given.