Last week, NOS headlined: **”Hyper-nervous society leads to mental pressure”** A confirmation of what many of us already see: **Families are under great stress.** This is a stress that has many causes. Life has become more expensive and uncertain. More families are struggling to keep their heads above water. Children who, due to a long month, do not get a healthy breakfast.
Underlying this are persistent social problems such as poverty and an increase in complex family issues, for example due to contentious divorces. But what really worries me for the children here and now is the role of **social media**. We are always on and are tempted to belong to the most successful, beautiful, and above all, the happiest people. The pressure that puts on children – and their families – is unbearable and in my view **toxic**. Toxic, because it also ensures that our children move less and spend whole days on their phones. This leads to obesity, but also to a lack of socialization.
By the way: Every child in The Hague must be able to play outside. I put 'can' in parentheses because if there is a group in the city that finds me an extraordinarily annoying councilor, it is the residents near playgrounds who complain about noise nuisance. I stick to my call: **Let children play!**
Back to that stress. This goes hand in hand with increased **polarization**. You would think that we in The Hague, as a segregated city, already knew how to deal with that. But honestly, looking back on 6 years as education councilor, I see the differences growing.
Let me illustrate this briefly.
I think everyone recognizes the parent who has developed so much fear of the government that he or she even rejects a free spot in preschool. Or digs in their heels when professionals merely suggest having a child psychologist look at what a more suitable environment for the child would be.
On the other hand, I see parents who chase their children from tutoring to tutoring. Not giving the teacher a glance when he calmly explains that Vmbo is a good, suitable advice.
For one, the distance to the government is too great. For the other, individualism and the thick-I have become so central that only they think they will decide the fate of their child.
This stress and polarization, the pressure from society and social media, the situation in families: we see all of this reflected in **education**, we see it reflected in your classrooms.
And that brings me to an important point. Education plays an incredibly important role in creating a safe solid foundation for every child. But with the developments I just mentioned and a persistent staff shortage, we cannot and must not place that responsibility solely on you. For that, we need the help of other professionals, such as **child psychologists, family workers, and youth assistance are desperately needed.** And we must ensure that we have children in view as early as possible.
Precisely for that reason, we have made **preschool education free** for all toddlers who need it. We have removed all the paperwork and the application for a subsidy. Where cabinet after cabinet has been hesitant to make childcare free due to staff shortages, we show that we have been able to welcome over a thousand extra children from the age of 2.5 years. A **shout out** to our toddler consultants. Who walk through playgrounds and community centers every day to convince parents to send their children to preschool.
With the significant increase in preschools, we also saw better how many children needed something extra. Therefore, we are bringing education and youth assistance closer together. We have started **Inclusive Childcare** for children who do not keep up in regular preschools and care. We have developed **Start Classes**; where children aged 5 and 6 are prepared for school in small groups. And we are setting up **education-care and care-education groups**. So that children who need care do not immediately fall behind in education. Everything to maintain the perspective on education – whether regular, special, or practical.
We are still a long way from it, but I do see room to do what is necessary. So I want to take you to my experience at a demonstration lesson.
Imagine a circle with about fifteen toddlers on small chairs. They sit completely still. And watch the teacher with fascination. She is not only reading aloud, she has already taken the children through the objects that appear in her story for a week. A bear. A shovel. Sand. Pieces of vegetables. She names everything she does in her somewhat theatrical performance. Suddenly the children stand up and start scooping as if they are on the beach. A beach that many of them have never seen in The Hague. Maybe in their motherland Syria or Sudan, but they cannot tell the teacher that at that moment.
It is a small example of customization by combining knowledge from different professions. And in this case, the necessary creativity.
It gives me hope. By bringing youth assistance closer, we can give teachers the space to do their work again. And now I hear you thinking: then that youth assistance must answer the phone… Yes. I completely agree with you. Improving accessibility and turnaround times is a top priority, I say with the hat of youth councilor. We are still in a transition, but once this cooperation is established, I am sure that we will succeed in ensuring that we can deploy assistance more purposefully. And that no child will wither away at home anymore. That teachers are relieved. And that we also have to give fewer children the label 'care child' at a young age.
Everything we do, of course, depends on having enough professionals. In the coming years, making **The Hague more attractive for education and childcare staff** will remain at the top of the agenda. We have invested heavily in the guidance of new teachers. And what is also nice to mention: the program **Civil Servant in the Classroom** has been expanded: this year 25 civil servants support a teacher in a primary school. The experiences they gain there are taken back to City Hall.
And for those who occasionally speak to young people considering going to the PABO or other education-related training: **The Hague is increasingly becoming a vibrant student city!** At the beginning of next year, we can welcome 3,000 new students. They will start at the new campus at the Spui. I also hope that our MBO students will experience the fun that this will bring. That is why they have joined the Student&City platform and participate in the annual Introduction Week.
And **last but not least**: we are not blind to what is brewing among our teenagers and young adults. I see how many schools struggle with tensions, with safety. And I am aware that there are people among you who cannot easily bring up all themes. But please, **ring the bell if tensions rise too high.** This can be done easily through the **Collaboration Agreement on School Safety** set up last year.
I come to an end. But not before I want to thank you – and all your colleagues – for thinking along and contributing to the new **Hague Educational Agenda, the HEA**. This agenda determines the education policy for the coming years. I hope you will see in this that we have listened. During work visits, through inquiries, and in many rooms. It still needs to be approved by the Municipal Council, but what I would like to share in advance: we are going to **simplify the subsidy system enormously.** No more dozens of regulations, but just a handful. Accompanied by more freely spendable space.
We will need that space. Because what we have not yet considered is the political wind and its whims. We have all been incredibly shocked by the plan to scrap the Educational Opportunities Regulation. Hats off to everyone who has spoken out against this openly. You have fortunately been heard! This does not change the fact that we still have to make difficult choices in the coming years. We will stay in touch about that. And fortunately, I say in a personal capacity, elections are just around the corner!
Dear people. I am incredibly proud and happy that I can stand here for the fourth time as a councilor. For me, it is the last time, I will not return as a councilor. I hope not for you. Because you continue to invest day in and day out for our children, young people, students, and for the retraining or reskilling of adults. Despite the differences, we do everything we can to offer everyone the opportunity to participate fully. We celebrate that today at this **Hague Educational Festival**, and I sincerely hope that this festival will continue to take place in the coming years.
