Equality or equity, player or guardian? The Dutch government and its role in providing access opportunities for government sponsored international secondary education, 1979-2009

Abstract

This article focuses on the Dutch government’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) Pilot, allowing Dutch pre-university students to take part in the IB DP. Is it likely to create ‘equal’, or rather ‘equitable’, access opportunities for government-sponsored Dutch international secondary schools? The article advances the position that the IB DP Pilot is creating more equitable access opportunities for middle-class children. It can be expected, though, that less advantaged groups will increasingly be able to benefit from the opportunities that come with access to government sponsored international education.