Parents who homeschool children face being prosecuted again

Parents who refuse to send their children to school on grounds of religion face being prosecuted following a Supreme Court judgment tightening the rules on homeschooling.

The public prosecution service (Openbare Ministerie) stopped bringing charges against parents for absenteeism last year because different councils have widely different policies on exempting children from the obligation to go to school.

Last month the Netherlands’ highest court ruled that parents can only claim exemption if there is no suitable school nearby, defined as within 6km of their home for primary schools and 20km for secondary schools.

The Hague has since said it expects all 102 children in the city who are registered as not attending school to be enrolled for the new academic year in September, and other councils are expected to follow suit.

“There may be some children who are getting good education at home and are still able to make friends,” said the city’s alderman for education, Hilbert Bredemeijer. “But we have no certainty of it whatsoever, because there is simply no supervision available.”

A spokesman for the prosecution service told RTL Nieuws that it was reviewing its position: “We are in discussions with the legislative authorities and various partner organisations,” the spokesman said.

Junior education minister Judith Tielen told TV documentary show Boos last week that she wants to abolish the exemption from compulsory education on grounds of religion or conscience altogether.