The Netherlands: The Clergyman and the Merchant Revisited

In 1917 the Dutch constitution was amended to contain a clause that guarantees “freedom of education.” This means, in practice, that all schools, whether municipal or private, have equal government funding. On a national level the Department of Education and Culture is required to support schools no matter what religious denomination or pedagogic philosophy they represent. Both public and private schools (Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Montessori, and others) are supported provided they meet (sometimes very specific) requirements that are defined under the law. The result is that approximately 70 percent of Dutch children attend a school that operates under private auspices.