G. Ledoux

Choosing Segregation or Integration? The Extent and Effects of Ethnic Segregation in Dutch Cities

Across Europe, urban education systems are struggling with the process of integration of immigrants in schools. The process of inclusion and exclusion in European cities shows many similarities with earlier experiences in U.S. cities. This article explores the most important aspects of this new urban phenomenon and its impact on urban school systems. It clearly shows that ethnic segregation in elementary and secondary schools is widespread in Dutch cities. This ethnic segregation is caused by a combination of residential segregation and parental choice. The article also deals with recent Dutch studies on the effects of segregation. Finally, it treats the question of how schools and authorities, in a long-standing tradition of parental choice, are dealing with this segregation. Given the debate of choice in the United States, the Dutch case offers an ideal opportunity for empirically testing some assumptions in the discussion concerning the relationship between choice and segregation.

Preparing teachers for intercultural education

Intercultural competence is still not automatically part of teacher education. It is not only a political issue; it is also a matter of the curriculum characteristics of institutes for teacher education. This article discusses a project, launched by the Dutch Ministry of Education, on the operationalization of intercultural education in preservice teacher education in The Netherlands. The way in which intercultural education is presented to students appears to be superficial and lacking a critical perspective. This is partly due to the way in which institutes deal with the current trend towards self-regulated learning in higher education and to the absence of close ties with intercultural practices in schools.

Citizenship in young people's daily lives: differences in citizenship competences of adolescents in the Netherlands

The results of a nationwide study of the citizenship competences of adolescents in the Netherlands are presented from the perspective of democratic citizenship in this article. Citizenship competences are defined as the knowledge, skills, attitudes and reflection needed by young people in a democratic and multicultural society to adequately fulfil social tasks that are part of their daily lives. The Citizenship Competences Questionnaire was administered to 16,000 adolescents in either sixth or ninth grade. With the help of analyses of variance and partial correlations, background factors related to the students and the environment were analysed in conjunction with each other. The results showed significant differences in citizenship competences to depend upon the gender, age, cognitive level, socio-economic status and ethnic backgrounds of the adolescents in addition to the degree of urbanisation characteristic of their school environments. The findings are discussed in light of research previously conducted on the citizenship of young people.

Intercultural Education in Dutch Schools

Abstract This article presents and discusses the results of a project on the development of new forms of intercultural education in Dutch schools. On the initiative of the Ministry of Education, culture and science teachers in different sectors of education collaborated in networks to develop examples for “intercultural learning” that are of practical relevance for the daily practice of teachers and move beyond the existing culturalistic practice of intercultural education. The project was evaluated by research. Analysis of the examples developed by the teachers shows an emphasis on intercultural competence as an objective. This fits in well with the growing attention to the development of a broader range of competences after decades of a somewhat imbalanced emphasis on cognitive skills. From this viewpoint there are promising possibilities for the dissemination of intercultural education. In analyzing the content of the formats it is striking that culturalism is replaced by a recognition of individual differences. This has the potential to redefine the dominant perception of the “standard” pupil and cultural standards in curricula and pedagogy. However, from a critical perspective of multiculturality there are serious reservations.

Effects of school quality, school citizenship policy, and student body composition on the acquisition of citizenship competences in the final year of primary education

This study examines the effects of general educational quality of schools, school citizenship policy, and ethnic homogeneity of the student body on the acquisition of citizenship competences in the final year of primary education. The theoretical framework is based on developmental, psychological, and sociological studies into effects of social context on educational outcomes and research into effective schools. The effects of school quality, school policy, and student population were analysed using 2-level (students, school) multilevel models. The results show that differences in citizenship competences between students and schools are mainly explained by factors at student level. Although the school also appeared to play a role, the school variables used in the analysis did not offer sufficient explanation for these differences. In order to further investigate the relationship between school factors and students’ citizenship, more insight is needed into characteristics of citizenship practices of schools.

Civic Competence of Dutch Children in Female Same-Sex Parent Families: A Comparison With Children of Opposite-Sex Parents

This study examined whether Dutch children reared in families headed by female same-sex parents differ in civic competence from Dutch children reared by opposite-sex parents. The participants, drawn from a national sample, included 32 children (11-13 years old) parented by female same-sex couples who were matched on demographic characteristics with 32 same-aged children parented by opposite-sex couples. The comparison revealed that children raised by female same-sex parents scored significantly higher on several civic competencies, specifically on attitudes concerning acting democratically, dealing with conflicts, and dealing with differences. These results suggest that growing up in a nontraditional family may be associated with a greater appreciation of diversity and the development of good citizenship.

Von kulturalistischen zu pluriformen Ansätzen. Ergebnisse des niederländischen Projekts ‚Interkulturelles Lernen in der Klasse‘

In den 80er und fruhen 90er-Jahren wurde im niederlandischen Schul- und Bildungswesen verstarkt daruber diskutiert, wie Unterricht und Schule ‚interkultureller‘ werden konnten. Bei dieser Debatte spielte die Definitions-frage eine wichtige Rolle: Was ist eigentlich interkultureller Unterricht, was sind angemessene und unangemessene Ansatze, und welche Kriterien konnen zur Beantwortung solcher Fragen herangezogen werden? Die erziehungswissenschaftlichen Expert(inn)en waren sich hier keineswegs einig. Die Kontroverse konzentrierte sich auf die Frage, wie das zentrale Ziel interkulturellen Unterrichts aussehen sollte: Ist es sinnvoll, den Schwerpunkt auf die Forderung und Unterstutzung von individuellen Haltungen zu legen, wie etwa ‚gegenseitiger Respekt‘ und ‚gegenseitiges Verstandnis‘? Oder sind dies unbrauchbare Lernziele und muss es vor allem um die Vermittlung von faktischen Kenntnissen uber verschiedene Kulturen gehen? Oder liegt das eigentliche Ziel nicht vielmehr in der Bekampfung von sozialer Ungleichheit und dem Aufdecken rassistischer Praktiken?