More parents are opting to send their children to small private schools in the Netherlands, despite the high fees.

The number of small private primary schools has doubled from 58 in 2018 to 101 this year, while the number of private secondary schools rose from 10 to 39, figures from the school inspectorate show.

Some 2,000 children are currently enrolled at small private schools, which mostly have no more than a handful of pupils. Fees are upwards of €14,000 for a primary school place and over €20,000 at a secondary school level, the private schools association told the AD.

Small private schools have been proliferating since the pandemic when children were taught at home in a smaller setting and this created a demand for schools founded on alternative methods and ideologies, the schools inspectorate said.

Examples of small private schools include the Natuurschuur in Wieringewaard where “highly vibrating” children experience calm, nature, and space, and, more controversially, the Renaissance School in Almere, which has links to extreme right-wing party Forum for Democratie.