PO-, VO-Raad and LOWAN: Only use temporary facilities for newcomers in emergency situations

The PO Council, VO Council and LOWAN are critical of the Temporary Newcomer Facilities Act (TNV). The organizations are concerned with the development of children in TNVs, the duration of the supplementary funding and the perseverance that Minister Dennis Wiersma (Primary and Secondary Education) wants to provide.

The education of newcomers is under great pressure. In many areas, it is not possible to give all children access to education within the three-month period. With the bill, the minister hopes to make room for more children. School boards will be given scope to deviate from the statutory provisions of the WPO and WVO regarding teaching time, teachers’ powers and curricula in a way that makes sense.

Concerns about quality, financing and persistence

PO-Raad, VO-Raad, and LOWAN all have in common that a light form of education is better than no education at all, but at the same time they fear a sliding scale in which the quality of education will be weak for a growing group of students. The organizations therefore believe that the bill should only be seen as an emergency measure and that the government should continue to look for structural solutions. In addition, she sent a letter to the House of Representatives calling for three actions:

1. Don’t start supplemental funding until the first day of school

   Schools are entitled to additional funding for one or two years to provide education for newcomers. The date of arrival in the Netherlands leads to the initiation of this funding. However, due to waiting lists in newcomer facilities, there is a growing gap between the arrival date and the first day at school. As a result, schools miss out on a significant portion of supplemental funding.

2. Extension of supplemental funding for newcomers for the period the newcomer is dependent on a temporary facility.

   Temporary appropriations must be paid from existing supplementary funding. But if children remain in TNV for a long time, there is no additional funding left for additional support when they transition into a regular classroom or regular education. Experience with Ukrainian children in emergency facilities shows that this support is indeed necessary.

3. Remove provisions relating to perseverance from the bill

   When the Bill is introduced, the Minister will be given the power to decide whether a temporary facility for newcomers should be established in a particular municipality. If this does not happen, the municipal council can appoint the school board to set up a temporary facility. If the school board does not follow through, a funding penalty may follow.

   In line with the advice of the State Council, PO-Raad, VO-Raad and LOWAN are of the view that this modus operandi frustrates good cooperation between schools, municipalities and the national government. The rules of perseverance are based on mistrust and have previously proven unnecessary when setting up emergency facilities for Ukrainian children. Nor does it solve problems with staffing, housing, and large shelters with many underage new arrivals.