Kerkrade starts new application process for The Martin Buber

The Municipality of Kerkrade launched a new application procedure for Het Martin Buber on July 1. With this, it wants to send another signal to The Hague to enable the return of full secondary education to Kerkrade.

Parallel to the new application, the municipality of Kerkrade is going to file an objection against the decision of the Minister of Education this week. The municipality is baffled and surprised by the minister's decision not to grant the school for the time being and is counting on the objection procedure to still grant the school. 

Much support from the community

The municipality has been working hard for the return of secondary education in the city since 2019. There is also a lot of support from the community. The new public school for mavo, havo and vwo, under the name The Martin Buber would start in August 2023 if the minister gives a positive recommendation.   

The Inspectorate of Education - which monitors the quality of education and advises the Minister of Education - believes that the educational plans of The Martin Buber score well on five of the six assessment criteria. Only the citizenship education component - which deals with the basic norms and values of our society - scored inadequately in the Inspectorate's opinion. As a result, Het Martin Buber will not receive approval to start next year for the time being.

An objection and a new application

Reason for the Kerkrade municipality to appeal this decision to the Ministry of Education. "Giving up is not an option. In our objection we are legally strong in our argument that we are putting up a good school in all respects. We are doing everything possible to ensure that The Martin Buber comes to Kerkrade. We do not understand the decision. The Martin Buber is citizenship education. Citizenship is the common thread of the school," stated Alderman Jo Schlangen (Education).

"In parallel, we have also started a new application process for The Martin Buber, because we want to leave no opportunity unused to ensure that we can open the school."

Second interest registration

The second application means a new interest registration must follow. This requires 628 parent statements. These are statements from parents with children aged 10, 11 and 12. Because the municipality of Kerkrade also lodged an objection against the rejection of the first application, at this moment for the second application only statements can be issued by parents who have not issued a parent declaration in 2021.

Jo Schlangen: "This will be a huge job, but the enthusiasm we saw last year gives us confidence and energy to bring this interest registration to a successful conclusion as well. It is a matter of long breath and we have it! The fact that the parents who issued a parental statement last year cannot do so now violates the fundamental right to legal protection. We have asked the ministry to correct this. If they do not agree, we will file summary proceedings so that all parents can again issue a parent statement."

Motion

The Kerkrade City Council is to table a widely supported motion expressing council support for continuing with the initiative to create a distinctive educational concept in Kerkrade. The motion will be considered at the July 14 council meeting. 

Support

By issuing a parent declaration, parents do not enter into an obligation. The Municipality of Kerkrade offers support to parents who need help completing the parental statement. They can call 06 18736513 for this or they can report via the website: www.hetmartinbuber.nl