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Tensions in implementing appropriate education in primary schools


22 August 2023


The introduction of the Appropriate Education Act caused a lot of unrest at the time. After all, how should schools and teachers deal with the ever-increasing differences in children's needs? Educational adviser Ritie van Rooijen examined the impact of the law in practice, and looked at the tensions and strained relationships experienced by all parties involved, including the children themselves, in working together. Children are quite flexible, she discovered, but most stakeholders find it difficult to look beyond their own interests. On 22 August, she defended her thesis at the University of Humanistic Studies, entitled Spanningsverhoudingen in passend regulier basisonderwijs: samenwerken bij het bevorderen van sociale inclusie van kinderen (Tension relations in appropriate regular primary education: working together to promote children's social inclusion).


In the Netherlands, primary schools must make efforts to admit a diversity of children. This duty for schools to promote social inclusion was brought into sharp focus in 2014 with the introduction of the Appropriate Education Act (Wpo). The law states that children attend regular primary education as much as possible, even if they need extra support. Think of children with giftedness, learning and development problems or behavioural problems. The law caused a lot of unrest. Because can a school still provide high-quality and appropriate education if the differences between children are increasing? 


Providing appropriate education is a complex task involving many different parties: administrators, school leaders, internal supervisors, teachers, pupils and parents. To gain more insight into the cooperation and tensions between those involved, Ritie van Rooijen conducted interviews with children, parents, and teachers from seven regular primary schools. She also spoke with internal supervisors and school leaders. Finally, she interviewed administrators active in regional partnerships. The thesis provides an overview of the tensions they encounter in the mutual cooperation.

Children are flexible

Van Rooijen noticed in interviews with children that they accept other children fairly easily, even if they are children who need extra support. From conversations with teachers and parents, she concluded that there can sometimes be tension between these two target groups around the issue of social inclusion in the classroom. Teachers do their utmost to give all children the guidance they need, while many parents feel that their own child does not always get enough attention.

School leaders in difficult position

Interviews with school management show that they are then in a difficult position. After all, school management has to take into account the interests and needs of children, teachers, parents and administrators. This sometimes creates complicated situations. For example, the board decides that more children who need extra support are welcome, but the school management sees that teachers are already weighed down by a huge workload. The only solution is extra support in the classroom but that costs a lot of money. And that, unfortunately, is often not there..

Management at a distance

Finally, she noted that there is a distance between the board on the one hand and the classroom and school on the other. On paper, the board is in favour of social inclusion, but the elaboration of this in practice is not always clearly formulated. She also noted that school boards depend on each other but at the same time focus mainly on their own school or foundation. Yet one board's policy can have a huge impact on other schools. For instance, if a school decides not to accept a child with learning difficulties, another school in the region has to accommodate that child.

Collaboration

While most stakeholders all share the same goal - quality education where every child feels welcome - the interests of each stakeholder are slightly different. A teacher wants the best for all children, a parent wants above all for their own child, and the school board wants their own school to do well. Van Rooijen: "If we want all children to feel welcome in regular primary education, teachers, school leaders, administrators and parents will have to communicate and cooperate better with each other." 


Educationalist Ritie van Rooijen is attached to the HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, and has worked as a teacher, coach and educational consultant in primary, secondary and higher vocational education.

Read more

Thesis magazine Elk kind hoort er bij. Een onderzoek naar het bevorderen van sociale inclusie in het basisonderwijs by Studio Wetenschap.


Download the thesis (in Dutch) via our research portal: ‘Spanningsverhoudingen in passend regulier basisonderwijs: samenwerken bij het bevorderen van sociale inclusie van kinderen’, Ritie van Rooijen, Utrecht 2023.

The introduction of the Appropriate Education Act caused a lot of unrest at the time. After all, how should schools and teachers deal with the ever-increasing differences in children's needs? Ritie van Rooijen examined the impact of the law in practice, and looked at the tensions experienced by all parties involved.