The House of Representatives recently approved the extension of the Strengthening the Position of Parents and Students in Appropriate Education Act. This should give parents and students who are involved with appropriate education more participation and rights through the right to be heard. This is reported by Parents & Education.
The bill by GroenLinks-PvdA MP Lisa Westerveld only concerns the right to be heard for students with a development perspective. According to Parents & Education, without an adjustment to the hearing rights, little will change for most children. Only few children with an OPP have additional support needs. 8.2 percent of all students receive extra support at school, but only 0.99 percent at primary school have an OPP. In secondary schools, 1.7 percent of students with additional support needs have development prospects.
No right to be heard at an individual level
While Westerveld’s bill should allow all students to have a say in basic support, Ilana Rooderkerk of D66’s bill is about having a say in basic support and additional support for children with and without a development perspective. Rooderkerk’s proposal was not adopted by the House of Representatives, but Westerveld’s was. Primary and secondary schools should give students the opportunity to share their opinions about the support the schools provide. Individual students are not entitled to additional support if there is no development perspective.
By: National Education Guide / Johanne Levinsky
