Dutch public and religious schools between state and market. A balance between parental choice and national policy

Abstract

major problem of introducing more parental choice is finding balance between the parental freedom of school choice and the aims of a national education policy (promotion of equal opportunities, fair payment of the costs of education, balanced provision of societally relevant education). The Dutch case is interesting for the way in which it balances parental choice and national education policy since the 1920s: it combines parental choice and equal subsidizing and treatment of public and religious schools by the state. The article describes this system, its history and its costs and analyses the role and working of the religious schools. (DIPF/Text Orig./Bi.)