Netherlands' FvD‑backed Renaissanceschool opens in Almere with state funding

The Renaissanceschool, a primary school founded on the political platform of Forum for Democracy (FvD), opened this month in the Almere Poort district of the Netherlands. The school receives full financing from the Ministry of Education after securing the required parental declarations, marking a shift from earlier attempts that lacked public funding.

The school’s curriculum emphasizes a “classical European” worldview, with small classes of 12‑15 pupils, gender‑specific teaching modules, and a ban on laptops and iPads. Its establishment has sparked debate in the Dutch House of Representatives, where members of VVD, D66 and other parties questioned the use of public money for a party‑linked institution and warned that education freedom must not become a cover for discrimination or political indoctrination. The school will be inspected within a year under Article 23 of the Dutch Constitution, which guarantees the right to found schools reflecting personal worldviews.

The opening follows a previous incarnation of the school in Almere Haven that closed in 2024 after failing to obtain state subsidies. Founder Thierry Baudet envisions expanding the model to secondary schools and eventually a university.