1,400 Dutch Schools Slash Textbook Costs With New Coop

Schools across the Netherlands are taking textbook costs into their own hands, and the results could save families hundreds of euros each year.

Nearly 1,400 schools have joined Neon, a new cooperative textbook publisher that puts educators in control of what their students learn and what they pay for it. The initiative already represents more than 650,000 pupils, about a quarter of all students in the country.

For years, schools have watched textbook prices climb while quality declined. The biggest complaint? Workbooks that needed replacing every single year, creating mountains of waste and draining school budgets.

Marten Blankesteijn, who helped create digital news platform Blendle, saw an opportunity to disrupt the system. He founded Neon to develop teaching materials alongside teachers, not behind closed boardroom doors.

The cooperative model means schools get a real voice in what gets published. About 120 school groups, covering more than 500 primary schools and almost 900 secondary schools, are now actively contributing to the development of new textbooks.

The price difference is striking. Schools will pay about €20 per student per year for a full set of materials, excluding printing costs. That's a fraction of what families currently spend, and the books will be easier to update and adapt to individual classroom needs.

Four major publishers currently control about 80% of the Netherlands' schoolbook market. When asked if Neon's arrival would push them to lower their prices, they declined to comment.

The Ripple Effect

The movement is already catching the attention of policymakers. Two investigations into competition in the textbook sector are underway, and the education ministry has issued a clear warning: make improvements or face government intervention.

What started as frustration over expensive, disposable workbooks has grown into a quarter of Dutch schools reimagining how educational materials get made. Other countries struggling with textbook costs are watching closely.

The cooperative approach proves that when schools work together, they can challenge even the most entrenched industries and win better outcomes for students and families.