The education system should be made more flexible to take into account children who cannot attend school because they need extra care or attention, says the children’s ombudsman.

Marc Dullaert set up a call line for stay-at-home children and their parents last year and has been inundated with complaints about the current system.

In a report released on Thursday, he advises the education ministry that more flexibility is needed for children who cannot attend school because of medical, social, intellectual or emotional problems.

Agreement

Dullaert wants a ‘stay-at-home agreement’ between the ministry, inspectors and schools and an independent ‘education coach’ for each region to ensure these children can be educated at home where necessary.

In a reaction, junior education minister Sander Dekker told news site nu.nl he agrees with the ombudsman that children can need tailored education. However, he would not like any ‘agreement’ to result in a lot of paperwork full of good intentions.