Compulsory education and ESL
If someone does not attend school, the compulsory education officer comes into the picture. Compulsory education applies until the age of 18, and supervision of the compulsory education law is a duty of the municipality. Compulsory education officers are not just there to hold the student accountable; they are also there to find a solution to problems students are facing.
Truancy is often a clear signal that something is wrong. The school reports truancy (absence without a valid reason) to DUO, which immediately forwards this to our Youth Tracking System. The school attendance officer, in collaboration with the school, investigates the reason for the absence and makes an appointment with student and parents/guardians. It also often happens that parents or students themselves make an appointment with the truancy officer to find a solution to a particular problem.
Compulsory education, special leave or exemption
Children of compulsory school age must attend school. If your child does not attend school without good reason, this is considered unauthorized absence. Under certain conditions you, as parents or guardians of the child, can ask for extra (vacation) leave. More structural absence is also possible in exceptional cases. This is called exemption. An exemption must be requested by the parent(s)/caregiver(s) of a young person. More information can be found on our page Special leave or exemption. Of course, you can also contact one of our compulsory education officers.
RMC
From the age of 18 compulsory education ends, but as a municipality we want to combat ESL. The RMC (Regionaal Meld en Coördinatiefunctie voortijdige schoolverlaten) of the municipality does this by actively approaching young people who stop education or young people who are at risk of dropping out. They are encouraged and guided to get a diploma.
The RMC counselor has conversations with young people, advises what the possibilities are in terms of education and work and helps them achieve this.
In doing so, attention is also paid to any problems or impeding circumstances that young people experience.
Early School Leaving (ESL).
The municipality of Leudal wants to combat Early School Leaving (ESL) and wants to ensure that as many young people as possible obtain a starting qualification, i.e. a HAVO, VWO or MBO level 2 diploma. Obtaining a starting qualification is very important for the chances of young people on the labor market. After all, it turns out that with a diploma you can get a better and more sustainable job.
Collaboration
To address problems and find appropriate solutions, the Compulsory Education and RMC team works closely with education and a variety of organizations and agencies responsible for the welfare of youth and young people.
Contact
The compulsory education and RMC staff can be reached at the general telephone number (0475) 85 90 00 or at leerplicht@leudal.nl.