Children have to deal with many changing drivers, who are usually not pedagogically trained.
Recently it appeared from a investigation of Parents & Education that, according to parents, the quality of student transport is considerably below par. Children's ombudswoman Margrite Kalverboer says in the broadcast of Pointer by KRO-NCRV that the development of children in special education is being inhibited by the unrest in student transport. Children are sometimes on the road for hours, sitting in full vans and therefore often arrive at school overstimulated and tired. They also have to deal with many changing drivers, who are usually not pedagogically trained. The Ombudsman for Children therefore wants guidance on the bus more often, so that there is more peace of mind and the driver can pay better attention to the road.
In the Netherlands, 70.000 children use school transport. Kalverboer thinks that extra guidance is not necessary on all journeys. “But if the group is too large, or if the composition of the children does not go well together, then there should simply be someone on the bus who is not concerned with traffic, but with the children.” It is up to the municipalities that organize student transport to discuss this with parents. The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) is not opposed to Kalverboer's plan. They announced that they would soon discuss with the minister what is needed to improve the quality of student transport.
"Actually, I almost only come across cases where transport is so bad for the development of the child that they can no longer perform at school"
high expectations
Carolien Aalders has been working in student transport for 25 years. She loves the job, but something is bothering her. Contrary to popular belief, municipalities not required at all to take children to special education in minibuses. Aalders speaks from experience. For more than 12 years she worked for a municipality as a student transport consultant. She kept in touch with parents, schools and carriers about everything that went well and what did not. “Parents often have very high expectations of student transport. And if the expectation is high, perhaps too high, anything less is a disappointment.”
"legally, the municipality has the task to pay for the cheapest possible transport"
The Institute Children's Ombudsman has been around for 10 years, Margrite Kalverboer has been the Ombudsman for Children since April 2016. As Ombudsman for Children, she promotes that all children's rights as laid down in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child are observed in the Netherlands by legislators, policy makers and executive professionals. The Ombudsman for Children ensures that children's rights are observed in the Netherlands. Not only by the government, but also by organizations in education, childcare and care. The Ombudsman for Children aims to improve the position of children and young people in the Netherlands through information, investigations and advice. The interests and perception of children and young people play an important role in this respect.
Margrite Kalverboer (1960) completed her studies in Dutch Law, Orthopedagogics and the art academy and obtained her PhD in Behavioral and Social Sciences. Before her appointment as Ombudsman for Children, she was an associate professor and professor of Child, Pedagogy and Immigration Law at the University of Groningen. She previously worked as a behavioral scientist and head of Pedagogical Policy and Care in the correctional juvenile detention center Het Poortje in Groningen.
'I see it as my task to continue building on the foundation that has been laid in recent years. In the field of child participation and to make legislators, policy makers and executive professionals aware of the child's perspective. It is not finished yet. I see the recent conclusions of the Children's Rights Committee on these points as a source of support.'
