THE EXISTENCE OF PARENTAL CHOICE IN THE NETHERLANDS

Parental choice of a private or public school for children has existed in the Netherlands since the start of this century. All school sector s (public, Protestant, Catholic) are subjected to strong control of eq ual examinations, salary, capital investments, and so forth by the nat ional government. In the start of this century, parental choice of a s chool was mostly dominated by religious ties, but in the second half o f this century, the Dutch society became more or less irreligious. At least nine mechanisms can explain the existence of religious schools i n a less religious society: (a) community of churches, (b) educational administration, (c) student intake, (d) financial differences, (e) de liberate educational choice, (f) educational conservatism, (g) religio us values, (h) political protection, and (i) refusal of certain pupils .