Educational freedom and educational ideals in the Netherlands

Abstract

The Netherlands has a unique dual education system. The government funds both public and private schools. Parents have much freedom to set up schools to realize their religious ideals. The freedom of education enshrined in the Dutch Constitution is controversial. The question has arisen as to whether the government should fund private schools. This paper describes what the Dutch freedom of education entails, gives an overview of educational ideals and mentions some areas where freedom of education is under threat. The conclusion is that although schools still have a great deal of freedom, this is decreasing, and alertness is required.