Councils in the four main Dutch cities are protesting at proposed cuts of €100m in their budget to support disadvantaged pupils.

The four councils and 33 smaller ones have signed a letter to MPs saying they fear pre-school provision will be negatively hit, according to broadcaster Nos.

The four main cities are also angry that junior education minister Sander Dekker is proposing redistributing some of their education cash to smaller cities.

For some years, children who are behind in speaking Dutch have had extra help, and Rotterdam fears the cuts will mean closing a third of its 200 pre-school locations.

The plans, which will be debated in the lower house on Thursday, mean the threshold for funding will be increased so that only the children of people with the minimum level of schooling qualify.

But councils’ education committees say many children will fall by the wayside, such as the families of Syrian refugees and eastern European migrant workers. The parents may have more than a basic education, but their children could still be behind in Dutch.

Councils argue that funding should be allocated to different areas on the basis of actual need.