http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Netherlands/201309240.aspState Wants to Ban Homeschooling
Authorities are making plans to ban home education in the Netherlands. Despite a review last year by the Dutch parliament that affirmed homeschooling and its supervision, Mr. Sander Dekker, secretary of state for education in the Netherlands, announced to the Dutch House of Representatives in July that he plans to make it impossible to homeschool.
The Netherlands Association for Home Education, Nederlandse Vereniging voor Thuisonderwijs (NVvTO), has issued a petition to help stop the announced ban on homeschooling that has already gathered more than 2,000 signatures.
Cry for Help
Peter van Zuidam, NVvTO secretary, is pleading for the help of the international homeschool community.
“The NVvTO is doing everything in its power to prevent this amendment to the law,” said van Zuidam. “We ask everyone who supports home education and the rights of parents to add your name to our petition, so we can make very clear to the members of parliament that the world is watching them.”
Homeschooling is currently legal in the Netherlands by an exemption to the compulsory attendance law. The petition calls on the Dutch parliament to maintain the current right to exemption from compulsory schooling or to make home education itself a legal right within the Compulsory Education Act.
Freedom under Fire
Michael Donnelly, director of international relations at HSLDA, echoed Van Zuidam’s call for help.
“Dekker’s plan to ban homeschooling completely in the Netherlands comes from the same place as German officials and even American academics who believe that the state should control all aspects of a child’s education,” Donnelly said.
“This totalitarian thinking is at odds with the liberty expected in free society. As homeschooling grows, clashes between statists and free people are increasing. We can help fellow homeschoolers and strengthen our freedom by standing against totalitarians like Mr. Decker. We showed this in the Wunderlich case in Germany, and I ask homeschoolers everywhere to send a message to Dutch officials by signing this petition.”