Hunting of schools that refuse to disabled children

- School attendance officers must hunt down schools that refuse to accept children with severe disabilities or other serious problems in the classroom. The coalition parties VVD and PvdA demands this morning in a debate with Minister Dekker (Education).

Over the past five years the number of pupils who do not go to school, and therefore have an exemption from the compulsory doubled according to Labour MP Ypma. At this moment about five thousand children at home.

Last year, the appropriate education has been introduced. That means better schools must do their best to place students with problems in normal classes. But despite this change the amount of truants has not decreased. The number of exemptions for compulsory education increased for that year by 14 percent.

There should be immediate changes, said the coalition parties. 'Before, school attendance officers were the parents behind the pants, but now schools are responsible for accommodating students with problems. Officials who have to ensure that children go to school, must therefore now address the schools, 'says Ypma.