Dutch Schools Establish Their Own Publishing House
Dozens of school boards in the Netherlands have founded a non-profit publishing company called “Neon” to make teaching materials cheaper, more flexible, and student-centered. The new initiative aims to break the dominance of the four major textbook publishers and give schools greater control over their curricula. Neon plans to include around 50 school boards by the end of the year, representing half a million students, or about one-fifth of all Dutch primary and secondary pupils. Currently, 12 school boards are actively participating in the project.
The project’s founder and former Noordhoff publishing employee, Marten Blankesteijn, criticized the rigidity of traditional publishers, saying, “It was almost impossible to innovate within conventional publishing systems.” With the new approach, he explained, “teachers can rearrange chapters, add examples, or shorten sections with just a few clicks,” adding, “We are giving control back to teachers.”
Neon’s software automatically converts such changes into digital lessons or printable PDFs. Schools will also be able to share and exchange the materials they create through a central Neon library.Under the new model, schools will pay only €20 per student per year, a sharp contrast to the current €300 average textbook cost. The first 45 authors and software engineers working under Neon will begin their duties this month.