with videoMinister Dennis Wiersma of Primary and Secondary Education finds the widely supported motion to offer lunches at school ‘a sympathetic proposal’. It will be a challenge to put it into practice, however, because the workload in education is already high.
Wouter Peer
Latest update:
19:48
The meals facilitated by the schools should ensure that no child goes to school on an empty stomach, a situation that is becoming more common now, according to the petitioners Laurens Dassen (Volt) and Jan Paternotte (D66). ‘Children from a vulnerable environment are being hit hard by the deteriorating economic situation’, they write. The House passed the motion with a large majority of 125 seats.
Minister Wiersma is positive. He also sees the crisis growing: ,,I have already seen it in schools myself. That they now try to help those children as best they can with everything they have in them. That they then find out that, especially when it is tough at home, it can sometimes just be that children do not go to school with enough bread in the morning.”
According to the minister, this could have major consequences. ,,If you go to school on an empty stomach, that’s not possible. On top of that comes the stress you have at home. Then you have to say: we are not going to let that happen in the Netherlands.” The minister therefore thinks it is important that this is taken into account, especially in poor neighbourhoods.
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Sounds good, but not everyone is completely enthusiastic about the plans. From teachers, who keep saying that the work pressure is already extremely high, the sound is heard: will that also be added. “The teachers are indeed already doing a lot,” the minister admits. “My point is: we have to make sure that less is put on the teachers’ sign, and more people around that sign.”
Wiersma therefore thinks that more hands need to be put next to the teachers to make things like school lunches possible. “That will be a question for all of us. How are we going to help with that? How are we going to prevent this from getting on the teachers’ sign, but that the signs are being lubricated?”
The minister does not yet have a clear answer to his own questions. He hopes that the education budget – which will be presented this autumn – will provide more insight into the implementation of the plans.
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