Separate schools for religious minorities in England and the Netherlands: using a framework for the comparison and evaluation of policy.

This paper reports some of the findings from a four-year funded comparative research project into state policy on separate schools for religious minorities in England and the Netherlands. The project focuses on two religious groups—evangelical Christians and Muslims. In both countries there has been a recent growth in the number of schools run by both religious groups. In the Netherlands there are now more than 30 Muslim schools fully-funded by the state, while in England there is a larger number, but only four are state-funded. The majority are fee paying private schools. Similarly, in both countries there has been a recent growth in the number of schools run by evangelical Christians. In the Netherlands these schools are again fully funded by the state while, in England, none of about 60 evangelical Christian schools is funded. This paper presents a framework for the comparison and evaluation of policies on separate religious schools, and discusses some of the wider implications of the differences between the policies of the two countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]