In this elementary school, they even have to teach in the basement

Maja (11) from group eight. Photo: Omroep Gelderland

ARNHEM – The Waldorf school on the Brugstraat in Arnhem-Noord is packed. Literally all available space is used to make education possible. Talks with the municipality have so far come to nothing. And if something doesn’t happen soon, school principal Hannes van Soest won’t know where to look.

Bent over, Hannes leads us to what is the “bicycle cellar”. “We see that it’s quite full and that we really lack space here”, he shows the concrete shed filled with bicycles. “It doesn’t work. The other option is in the schoolyard, but there you don’t have enough space.”

Inside, even the kitchen seems to have been transformed into an office. “You notice that it creates tension,” says Hannes. “That people feel the pressure of not being able to sit anywhere. It just interferes with pleasant functioning.” Despite this, the atmosphere in the team is also excellent, underlines the school director.

“Inequality of opportunity due to construction”

Master Jop was forced to go to the basement with the seventh and eighth years. “It’s very difficult,” he admits. “At the beginning, we were mainly concerned about the lack of space and the noise.” But his class also suffers from temperature changes, Jop knows that. “We want to keep as much fresh air as possible, but all around us children are playing,” the teacher describes the impossible choices he faces every day.

Also, organizing and “managing your class” is made very difficult this way, says Jop. “You have no place where you can put the books or let the children work separately. It’s a continuous search. Very inconvenient.” However, according to Jop, it is ultimately not the teachers who suffer the most, but the students. “As a teacher, you see this time and time again, but I wonder if policy makers are aware of it and see it well enough.” This can lead to unequal opportunities because children learn less well, argues Jop. “Only because of this building.”

“Actually, it’s not possible”

Meanwhile, Miss Mildred gives him craft lessons in the staff room. “I’m happy to have a place, but in fact it’s not possible,” says the DIY teacher.

It’s really full, Hannes summarizes the situation. And in the very short term, more space is needed because his school is constantly growing, the director knows it. “We didn’t anticipate this growth. But in fact, there should have been another building two years ago. And it’s still not there.”

Principal Van Soest finds that changes both at Arnhem College and among responsible officials “are lagging enormously behind” in this process. “Before people resettle, you’re months or years later.” You are therefore very dependent on the dolls that are present within a commune, he admits.

There seems to be a sense of urgency, Hannes sees. “But I wonder if people really understand what is needed here.” He also sees the practical objections to Arnhem-Nord. Because what space could be freed up to be suitable for his school, asks Hannes. “These places are not up for grabs.”

Temporary place

If a location becomes available now and also needs a lot of renovation, you’ll be a year older, Hannes knows that. “We don’t have that year. We’ll have another class from August 1. There’s no room for that.”

He will not escape a temporary place for the years to come, realizes the director of education. “But always in combination with a definitive perspective for this school. I am talking about new construction”, he clearly specifies his expectations vis-à-vis the municipality.

No confidence yet

Is he convinced that all this will really be settled in a few months? “Not yet no,” acknowledges Hannes after a short pause. He hopes that the meeting with Alderman Nermina Kundic scheduled soon will ensure sufficient movement.

For now, Kundic says only that she “will enter into discussions with each school that is looking for a location to find a solution”. “So also now.”

See here how serious the situation is in the school, via RTV Connect: