Elitair tegen wil en dank. Rechtvaardigingen van de keuze voor particulier onderwijs

Samenvatting

Unwilling Elitists. Legitimations of Private Education. In the Netherlands, all secondary education -- public or denominational -- is subsidized by the state. In recent decades, however, several private high schools have been established that prepare pupils for their final exam by teaching the curriculum of the last two classes of the normal high school. Classes are small, school days are long, homework is supervised, and discipline is strictly enforced. Because parents have to bear the full cost, private education is an option only for the financial elite. Research among 35 parents as to why they had sent their children to these schools revealed that they denied belonging to an elite group, comparing their own modest lifestyle with the extravagant consumption pattern of "the rich." These parents' egalitarian values fit into a more general egalitarian ethos in the Netherlands. The discrepancy between an elitist choice and egalitarian values compel parents to legitimize their choice. They do so by emphasizing that their children are intelligent and motivated, but also need discipline and attention, generally not provided by the regular schools. Despite the egalitarian rhetoric, however, these parents are making a choice that reproduces their own class position. 24 References. Adapted from the source document.