Netherlands addresses youth social trends and school recruitment controversies

In the Netherlands, recent data from the HBSC study conducted by Utrecht University and the Trimbos Institute indicates a significant decline in the acceptance of homosexuality among youth. Between 2021 and 2025, positive attitudes among secondary school boys dropped from 40% to 22%, while among girls, they fell from 78% to 51%. In Nieuwegein, Mayor Marijke van Beukering met with students and teachers from Oosterlicht College to discuss these trends and the safety of LHBTIQ+ individuals in the community.

Separately, the Dutch Education Inspectorate has launched an investigation into the Novum Saeculum Lyceum, an Islamic secondary school under development in Gouda. The school is reportedly using incentives such as free laptops or fatbikes to recruit new students. State Secretary for Education Judith Tielen confirmed the investigation, stating that public education funds are not intended for such recruitment campaigns.