THE BROAD SCHOOL

Lately the Dutch government is researching if it possible to oblige schools to stay open longer, so the buildings can be used for before-, and after-school reception for children. This becomes more important since more an more parents are both working. The concept is not new. For years schools are already facilitating reception of children before and after school hours. It is called the ‘broad school’.

A new ‘broad school’ is just opened in one of the Dutch modern polder towns. In this school reception, upbringing and education all take place constantly. One of the people that takes care of reception after school hours: ‘after-school reception is not especially better for children, but since more and more parents both have a job, the facility should exist. We do not want children to be home alone and only play with their computer.

In the broad school al children between 0 and 12 years can be received. The reception, upbringing and education all happen from the same viewpoint. This formula gives children more opportunities. When a child has a musical talent for example, the music class after school can stimulate that talent. When children are too fat, it can be decided to offer them more exercise after school.

The broad school offers a “home” from 07.00 o’clock in the morning till 18.30. It is even possible to stay over for dinner. After school children can stay and play, do sports or look after rabbits. Although child reception is very expensive in The Netherlands and many parents try to organise reception by themselves, the number of ‘broad schools’ increased heavily over the last ten years. At this moment there around 500 broad schools in The Netherlands already.

In earlier years the ‘broad schools’ were especially set-up in underprivileged area’s of larger cities, since - mainly though poverty - there the parents often have shortcomings in the upbringing of their children. The parents cannot afford to feed their children good enough, resulting in children arriving on school without having had breakfast. Or they can’t pay for any hobby or sport. Lately the increase of broad schools is to be found in smaller towns and villages, where the new multi-functional buildings also rescue the disappearing shops and community services.

Most of the time it is more practical to construct a new building, since existing school are usually not very suitable, since it is very important that the after-school reception rooms exude hominess and cosiness. According to many the ‘broad school’ concept has the future, since it is evident that more and more parents both have a job. more features

October 19, 2005