The Existence of Parental Choice in the Netherlands

Abstract

Parental choice of a private or public school for children has existed in the Netherlands since the start of this century. All school sectors (public, Protestant, Catholic) are subjected to strong control of equal examinations, salary, capital investments, and so forth by the national government. In the start of this century, parental choice of a school was mostly dominated by religious ties, but in the second half of this century, the Dutch society became more or less irreligious. At least nine mechanisms can explain the existence of religious schools in a less religious society: (a) community of churches, (b) educational administration, (c) student intake, (d) financial differences, (e) deliberate educational choice, (f) educational conservatism, (g) religious values, (h) political protection, and (i) refusal of certain pupils.