Page 50 - TWO OF A KIND • Erik Renkema

CHAPTER 2
As Figure 1 indicates most of the seventeen schools are a merger of a public and a Protestant or (Roman-)Catholic school: a total of fourteen. No schools (that merged with a public school) with another religious origin (e.g. Islamic, Hindu, Jewish) did so. One school is a merger of a public school and an ecumenical school. This corresponds with the data of the non-response: as far as could be indicated all of the cooperation schools are a merger of a public and a Protestant, (Roman-) Catholic or ecumenical school.
One of the seventeen principals mentioned that his school was a product of a merger between a public school and an ‘other’ school, already being a cooperation school. One school (not mentioned in the graphic) responded that it was founded as a cooperation school. This is remarkable, considering the fact that a cooperation school by law can only be a product of merging and not by founding.
Fig. 2 N=17
Nine schools are governed by a board that calls itself a ‘cooperation board’ (see Fig. 2). This means that the board of the school is merged of different identities as well. Based on the school directories, we can also label the majority (at least thirteen) of the boards of the non-response as a cooperation board. It seems remarkable that eight cooperation schools are connected to a public or religious board. Further research may show whether and how these boards value and develop the legal obligation to express both public and non-government education.
4.4. Integrated religious identity and policy
Sixteen school principals indicate that religious identity is described in formal documents.
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