Dutch Education: Even When You’re Sick, Just Act Normal

Greg:     Hi! It’s me, Greg Shapiro: The American Netherlander. And this time it’s also my wife Inez de Goede; author and mother of our two kids.

Inez:      The mother-who-always-gets-the-blame-when-things-go-wrong-with-her-child.

Greg:     Right. Inez has quite some experience with our 15-year-old son and his medical condition.

Inez:      Our son has Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. His diagnosis has been very complicated for the Dutch system. I mean, it’s a difficult situation for all of us. But instead of getting support, we were left to our own devices. Nobody, and I mean nobody, communicates with each other. So there you are, a parent with a sick child – with no background in medicine, psychology or education – and you’re supposed to coordinate doctors, school, psychologists, therapists and everybody else who is making money with their so-called expertise, while you don’t, but you do get to organize the whole thing.

 

www.gregshapiro.nl

Author
Greg Shapiro
Issue
2020 Spring

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