THE HAGUE, 03/12/03 - The conservatives (VVD) are not receiving a Lower House majority for their already toned down plans against Muslim schools. Both coalition partner the Christian democrats (CDA) and the Labour (PvdA) opposition leader feel that the road to integration does not include a ban on founding underprivileged schools, as became clear in the Lower House yesterday.

Vice-premier and VVD leader Gerrit Zalm had been called to the Lower House in his capacity as Finance Minister after statements he made at a VVD party congress last Saturday. There, he proposed to impose a ban on founding schools that are aimed purely at so-called 1.9 pupils. These are the children of foreign parents, for whom the school receives 1.9 times as much subsidy as for 'normal' children.

The only criterion for founding a school at present is that there are enough pupils. Zalm argued that integration would benefit if a rule were added that schools may not cater for 1.9 pupils alone. Article 23 of the constitution, which lays down the freedom to found schools on religious principles, would not need to be amended.

With his plan, Zalm was hoping on support from coalition partner CDA and possibly PvdA, which earlier shot down plans aimed more specifically against Islamic schools. But CDA repeated yesterday that a ban on founding schools is not the answer.

Zalm reiterated that Prime Minister Balkenende as CDA leader recently remarked at a party congress that Muslims are in danger of isolating themselves in "A prison of deprivation". CDA MP De Vries however stated that integration must be accomplished through other avenues.

PvdA MP Van Nieuwenhoven was annoyed that Zalm did not wish to take action against existing schools with exclusively foreign pupils. The minister acknowledged that he had "no solutions" for dealing with these. Other left-wing parties also felt that Zalm's 1.9-proposal was primarily aimed at banning Muslim schools.

CDA Education Minister Van der Hoeven stated that "Between 95 and 100 percent" of pupils at the 40 or so Islamic schools are 1.9-children. She did not wish to react to Zalm's plans and will shortly present her position on behalf of the cabinet. Van der Hoeven earlier stated that discouraging schools becoming mono-ethnic was not on her agenda.

A group of seven prominent VVD members yesterday distanced themselves from Zalm's ideas on Islamic schools. "A party based on freedom and democracy should support initiatives by groups wishing to organize their own education. It is unbecoming to presuppose disloyalty, cast suspicion and insults on a group and forbid or restrict the use of civil rights", as the critics stated. Among them was former Education State Secretary Ginjaar-Maas.

The seven dissidents also doubted the integrity of VVD integration spokesperson, MP Hirsi Ali. The letter alleges that her aversion to Islam is based on personal traumas. MP Baelemans condemned this suggestion yesterday. VVD parliamentary party chairman Van Aartsen, frequently Hirsi Ali's supporter, was unavailable for comment due to family circumstances.