Inequality in Amsterdam schools continues to grow

The number of students with highly educated parents increases in Amsterdam and they increasingly work together, according to figures from Research, Information and Statistics (OIS).

Meanwhile, a quarter of secondary schools almost exclusively of students with highly educated parents in the city. However, four of the ten schools more than eighty percent of children are poorly educated parents. At eight schools, the ratio is about fifty-fifty; a good reflection of the relationship between high and low educated in the city.

In 2013, ideal blend was still at eleven schools. Especially on the categorical secondary schools is spreading layer; wider school is the greater.

Long bike ride
"The Amsterdam secondary schools segregated," OIS concludes in the study. More than primary education. Segregation is visible every morning and afternoon to the students flow in the city nine pupils cycling to south. Together with the Centrum district go there more than twice as many students as there live to school.

They are often the children of highly educated parents who choose outside their home district to attend school. More than half of children with highly educated parents growing up in West New West and East, goes to a school in the South.

The result is that children from different backgrounds come into less contact with each other, says Herman of Werfhorst, professor of sociology at the University of Amsterdam, specializing in inequality. He argues that the rise of categorical schools that only offer high school, secondary school or VMBO, increases inequality. "The best children go to the best schools, the best teachers. Differences are quite small in the beginning, will be even greater."

Support from City Council
Jan-Hein Mattijs Meijer, director of the Caland Lyceum, a school with more than eighteen hundred students, the Amsterdam policy calls for the 'beaten by' selection of independent high schools, HAVO and VMBO programs to a halt. "We are building reserves for smart and less smart kids. They were in the same school, but we separate them when they go to secondary school."

The Werfhorst also points to a solution to local politics: "The inequality is increasing and it does not even have minded." They receive support from the City Council. A majority wants to offer more support to schools. "We must stop children to separately go to school," says Marjolein Moorman (PvdA).

Councillor Simone Kukenheim of Education wants students get more time to make a choice for a high school. The differences in opinions at the school contribute to the segregated education. Figures show that children with poorly educated parents often have low school advice.

http://www.parool.nl/  MICHIEL COUZY AND LAURA Photo: Marc Driessen

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