Women-only integration courses scrapped

Local authorities will not be allowed to offer single sex integration courses to immigrants from January 1 next year, integration minister Eberhard van der Laan said on Wednesday.


Two weeks ago, Van der Laan said he supported separate classes for men and women because otherwise orthodox women would not take the lessons.
Van de Laan said he had changed his mind because the issue has become increasingly sensitive in parliament and he has come to realise separate classes help create sexual apartheid.
He does not want to undermine support for the principle of integration courses, he was quoted as saying in the Volkskrant.
Some 15% of current integration courses are single sex.

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