The Dutch educational system is very different to others, and may be confusing to many. Here's a guide — from your child's first class right up to masters degrees.

Dutch primary school education includes both general education, as well as special education for children with learning and behavioural difficulties.

Compulsory education under Dutch law applies to children of all nationalities from the age of five to the age of eighteen, but often public schools start at the age of four.

Pupils generally progress through eight grades, primarily based on age groups. But some schools also group children of different ages and of different learning levels together.

Obligatory subjects are: sensory co-ordination, Dutch, arithmetic, English, art and music, geography, history, science and nature, social structures, and religious and ideological movements.

Schools are required to not only teach but also impart social skills and insights. Attention is also given to the fact the Netherlands is comprised of different ethnic groups.

Select Dutch secondary schools offer a bi-lingual programme (mainly English and Dutch, but also Dutch in combination with French, German and Spanish), based on the Dutch HAVO and VWO-curricula. In this programme non– language subjects as Sciences, Humanities, Art and PE are taught through the non-Dutch language

Some two-thirds of all Dutch children attend private schools, the majority of which are Roman Catholic or Protestant, but there are also a good selection of Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and non-denominational private schools.

Some schools use various methods such as the Montessori, Jena Plan, Dalton or Freinet systems of education. The child's capabilities and an examination in the last year of primary school (around age 11), called the Cito test (Cito toets), will help decide which secondary school he or she will attend.

Primary schools are government-funded and are thus paid for via taxes, but parents will be requested to pay a set fee per year for "extras".

Secondary Education

There are four streams of secondary education.

Pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO) is an introduction to upper secondary vocational education (MBO). It takes four years to complete and is composed of: engineering and technology, economics, agriculture, and care and welfare.

Senior general secondary education (HAVO) lasts five years and qualifies students to enter higher vocational education (HBO). Some students can also choose to enter pre-university secondary education VWO or MBO education.

Pre-university education (VWO) lasts six years and prepares students for academic studies at university level (WO), but some students also decide to take HBO courses.

A fourth and less common type of secondary education is a six-year practical training education (PRO).

Both HAVO and VWO schools offer course streams in science and technology, science and healthcare, economics and society, and culture and society.

But all secondary schools must teach a compulsory core curriculum of subjects spanning: Dutch and other languages (including English), sciences and biology, mathematics, geography, history, physical education and the arts, for several years before allowing students to bridge off into their respective study paths.

Courses of study in vocational education have been adjusted to better suit the labour market. In light of the ever-growing demand for MBO and HBO graduates, an important goal for the coming years is to encourage students to move on to higher secondary school levels.

Schools are divided into public and private schools (with both religious and non-denominational options).

Secondary schools that are government-funded are paid for via taxes, but parents will be expected to cover book and materials costs, as well as a yearly fee (oudersfonds).

International Schools

There are publicly-funded primary and secondary international schools in the Netherlands that have a Dutch stream and an international, stream. Private schools use either the international curriculum or their national curricula. Schools that are privately operated will be more expensive then government funded schools. 

Click here for an introduction to international schools in the Netherlands.

Vocational and Adult Education

About 39 percent of the working population has studied vocational education and 435,000 people choose every year to study at an institute for upper secondary vocational education (MBO).

MBO courses extend into the secondary school years, but some of their courses take students beyond normal secondary school age. Normally VMBO students, but also HAVO students can enrol in MBO courses.

The MBO courses are provided by Regional Training Centres (ROCs) and specialised vocational training institutions. Studies range from six months to four years.

Higher Education and Professional Universities

Many Dutch universities are open to foreign students — right up to masters and PhD level. Here is a guide to the Netherlands’ higher education system.

Tertiary education includes higher vocational education (HBO) and academic or university education (WO). There are about 60 HBO institutions and 14 universities in the Netherlands.

The Dutch converted in 2002 to the bachelor and master degree system, which was intended to give students greater international mobility.

Degree programmes in HBO institutes last four years and a large part of the programme involves a work placement. Students are required to write a major paper or complete a major project to obtain a bachelor's degree.

WO university degree programmes are organised around a bachelor's or undergraduate phase lasting three years and a masters or graduate phase lasting one to two years.

University courses generally start each September and run until the middle of June the next year.

Due to the fact that many Dutch universities have partner institutions in other European countries, students can study part of their course in another European country.

Foreign students

Foreign university students can enter a Dutch university degree course at an intermediate level, but only if the Dutch institution recognises the student's ability and allows this. Only a few Dutch institutions offer this possibility and it is up to them to decide.

Foreign students wishing to enter a Dutch university must have an adequate level of English and they must pass a standard test or one arranged by the Dutch university.

A secondary school diploma is required for entering a bachelor's degree programme. For a master's degree programme, an undergraduate diploma or bachelor's degree in a relevant field is normally required.

Admission to a PhD programme requires a good master's degree.

Tuition and registration fees vary from about EUR 300 to EUR 24,000, while most courses cost between EUR 1,500 and EUR 12,000. Many institutions have policies especially beneficial to foreign students.

Students must have about EUR 5,500 available in order to obtain the permission for a visa (if they require one).

A partial tuition waiver is linked to some bachelor's degrees and students enrolling in master's programmes can sometimes apply for a scholarship.

Foreign students wishing an evaluation of their foreign qualification can submit their diploma to a new organisation called the Information Centre for Credential Evaluation (IDW) — see www.idw.nl. An evaluation can help a person decide which job or further education to pursue in the Netherlands.

Information sources

Tertiary education can be offered in English, with more than 850 study programmes on offer. Visit www.studyin.nl for more information.

For other tertiary education enquiries contact NUFFIC (Netherlands Organisation for International Co-operation in Higher Education). Its website is www.nuffic.nl.

Or, contact Educaide for advice on the international school system in the Netherlands. This is a professional help desk, advising parents, students, teachers and schools. Educaide's phone number is: 06 559 889 98, or you can email Educaide at: info-educaide@xs4all.nl.

[Copyright Expatica 2006 - 2007]

Subject: Education in the Netherlands