THE HAGUE, 02/05/06 - Every year, several thousand children of Turkish and Moroccan origin born in the Netherlands are sent to school in their parents' country of birth. "This regularly leads to problems in fitting in with the educational system after returning to the Netherlands, but it can foster integration as well," the Advisory Commission for Alien Affairs (ACVZ) concludes.

Various MPs have expressed concern in recent years about the fact that children from ethnic backgrounds are sent back to their country of origin to go to school. It was allegedly a frequent occurrence with an extremely negative effect on the children's integration after their return to the Netherlands.

The ACVZ however observed that this phenomenon occurs "relatively infrequently". According to its survey of the Moroccan and Turkish communities, "it only applies to less than one percent of all the children of ethnic origin in the Netherlands. The figures also indicate that its prevalence is decreasing." The results were presented to Integration Minister Rita Verdonk yesterday.

Dissatisfaction with the Dutch educational system is often the reason for sending children to school abroad. "The parents consider that there is too little order and discipline, and that the children learn too little about their original language and culture. They also claim the children do not receive enough attention from the teachers and that they are wrongly advised to follow lower forms of secondary education."

Among those sent abroad, "some children are much more self-confident when they come back than when they left," the ACVZ continued. "Their integration is improved rather than hindered by their temporary education abroad. Others, though, lag behind in education and language when they return," the advisors admitted. "This depends on the individual circumstances."

The ACVZ concluded "that temporary school attendance in the country of origin does not require intensive government intervention." The ACVZ sees "no necessity of amending the aliens legislation to prevent children from going abroad temporarily". This is not legally possible, either, "because most of the children involved have Dutch nationality".