The Ministry of Education, Science, Culture & Sport (OWCS) published an article titled "Stricter Conditions for Homeschooling" on June 18, 2024, which appeared in various media outlets. In this article, they state that the "homeschooling" pilot program, initiated in 2018, has recently been evaluated, leading to a decision to apply more stringent conditions.
However, in response to applications for the 2020/2021 school year dated April 30, 2021, the ministry stated: "Finally, we must inform you that the pilot years have passed. Please take this into consideration."
As the Homeschooling Association Curaçao (HAC), we have repeatedly requested an evaluation of the pilot program over the years, as well as information on (the new) policy. We have also objected several times to interim policy changes, but we have never received any response. Nonetheless, our application for exemption from school enrollment for the 2024/2025 school year is now being evaluated based on an unknown (new) policy and has been rejected accordingly.
In a meeting with the Minister of OWCS in 2021, attended by the Head of the Department of Education and Science, it was indicated that HAC could submit a policy proposal to support the ministry. HAC did submit such a proposal, but again, no response was received, and the proposal seems to have been disregarded.
According to the ministry's evaluation of the pilot project, applications for exemption from school enrollment often arise from objections to the organization of the school rather than religious or philosophical beliefs. Parents who have applied for exemption have not been informed why objections that were annually deemed acceptable due to religious or philosophical beliefs are now classified as objections to the organization.
For five years, applications for exemption from school enrollment have been granted based on objections to the organization that were annually deemed acceptable by the ministry. Rejecting these same objections now does not comply with the General Principles of Good Governance. These principles, fundamental to our legal system, require that the government acts consistently and predictably, and that citizens can rely on policy continuity, especially when it profoundly affects their daily lives.
The ministry indicates that public schools provide neutral education that is not shaped by any particular philosophical view. In doing so, the ministry overlooks the possibility that some parents may see this as a deficiency because their children cannot receive education according to their own philosophical or religious beliefs, as Catholic and Protestant children have the opportunity to do so. In other countries, schools represent a wide range of religions and beliefs, allowing non-Catholics and non-Protestants much more choice in finding a school that aligns with their religion or belief system. This is not the case in Curaçao. Parents who find public education unsuitable therefore opt for homeschooling.
Homeschooling can be conducted in many different ways. It can be seen as a spectrum, with one end resembling what is taught in regular schools, with a standard curriculum, teaching methods, and so forth. At the other end of the spectrum is free/natural learning or unschooling, which does not use regular curricula or teaching methods. Between these two extremes, there are many other forms of homeschooling. In free/natural learning or unschooling, the child's interests are primarily followed, with the world as their classroom.
In countries like the Netherlands, there are even recognized schools successfully applying free learning as an educational approach. Others choose to use regular teaching methods for certain subjects that suit the child.
Parents who homeschool are aware that their children need to acquire certain basic skills, as defined in educational areas and learning trajectories, and they incorporate these into their children's education in their own way.
The ministry focuses heavily on the extreme end of the spectrum of regular educational forms and overlooks all other forms of homeschooling and the assessment of whether education has been sufficiently received. Nevertheless, the ministry has also rejected parents who have opted for a recognized (online) curriculum.
The ministry's assertion that children who do not follow a recognized (online) educational program are not adequately educated in the legally defined educational areas, compared to school-going children, is therefore very simplistic.
Regarding the interim reports mentioned by the ministry in its correspondence, the following can be stated. In the first half of 2020, the ministry acknowledged that there are more forms of homeschooling than just following a regular educational program at a recognized educational institution. It then established the Homeschooling Team to guide parents in informally assessing the progress of homeschooled children, referred to as "stimulation supervision". Templates were designed for progress reports, educational reports, and individual planning. Additionally, workshops were organized by this team to familiarize parents with these templates and the rationale behind them. These templates primarily focused on the cognitive development of the child, with little to no attention given to creative and emotional development.
The Homeschooling Team was supposed to evaluate the progress reports submitted by parents and provide feedback. However, this actually occurred only once. After the sudden death of one of the team members in 2021, the Homeschooling Team completely fell apart, and submitted reports were no longer assessed. Furthermore, the ministry did not provide any schedules indicating when various documents needed to be submitted. This constitutes improper conduct by the government towards parents.
Most parents do submit educational reports every year with their new application for exemption, as previously requested by the Homeschooling Team.
In response to appeal letters submitted by parents for the rejection in the 2023/2024 school year, dated June 13, 2024, the ministry states that the law requires participation in criterion tests, such as the EFO test. However, in the extension letter for the 2020/2021 school year, dated January 19, 2021, the ministry stated: quote "The independent didactic assessment that would be part of the evaluation process has been discontinued." end quote.
The ministry claims that the evaluation of the reports submitted by parents has shown that children receiving homeschooling do not receive adequate education. The HAC requests the ministry to specify based on which reports, who evaluated them, and by whom this conclusion was drawn.
The ministry mentions in their published article that the reports are filled in by the parents themselves and not by recognized educational institutions. In response to the applications for the school year 2024/2025, the ministry indicates that parents should be pedagogically qualified and provide a certificate of good conduct. This apparently follows from new policy of which we were not informed before May 1, 2024, the deadline for submitting applications. According to a report "Baseline assessment of the Curaçao education system, final report version February 2023" as shown in Table 5 on page 43 (source: Education Inspection 2016), over 40% of education personnel are not qualified. It surprises us that parents are expected to be educationally qualified.
From the above, it is evident that over the years, the ministry has applied varying policies, often contradicting itself. This runs counter to the principle of legal certainty and indicates maladministration.
HAC requests the ministry once again to reconsider the proposed new policy, this time engaging in a clear and transparent dialogue between affected families and the government. Only in this way can a fair and well-considered solution be reached.
Board of Homeschooling Association Curaçao
