Court backs Amsterdam school's refusal to promote English-speaking student to next grade

A student at Fons Vitae Lyceum in Amsterdam will not be moved to the second year of senior general secondary education (HAVO), following a court ruling in a case brought by his mother. She argued that the school had failed to provide her son with adequate support. The court, however, did not rule in her favor.

According to the school, the student’s academic performance during the previous school year was not good enough for him to be allowed on to the next year. The student was required to transfer to another school, as Fons Vitae does not offer a pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) track.

The mother disagreed with this outcome and sought legal intervention. She argued that Dutch is not her son’s native language, as he speaks English at home. She also said that he had a particularly psychologically challenging year, which affected his performance.

In evaluating the student’s academic progress, teachers considered more than his grades alone. They also assessed his work speed, his demonstrated comprehension of the materials, and his ability to grasp the new information. The judge also concluded that the student had received accurate support in terms of his language difficulties.