Education in the Netherlands
Education in the Netherlands is divided in schools for different age groups and into different levels of education.
Schools in the Netherlands are either public or special - with an ideological, religious or educational background. Also few private schools can be found in NL.
General informations:
Education falls under the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
In the Netherlands, complete compulsory education (leerplicht) is for everyone from 5 (start on the first day of the month after the fourth birthday) to 16 years. From the age of sixteen a student must take part in a partial compulsory education (partiële leerplicht) – what means that he or she must attend some form of education for at least two days a week. It ends when they get a degree (mbo-level 2 diploma or higher –it’s also called startkwalifikatie (basic qualification) in NL) or students who age eighteen and up.
Students from 19 to 23 years are kwalifikatieplichtig - they require qualifications. This means that the institution in which the student is studying is required to do their best to graduate this student with at least level 2 MBO diploma.
Schools
Between the ages of four to twelve, children attend elementary school. The elementary school has eight groups. Groups 1 and 2 are called kleuterklassen what can literally be translated to “toddler’s classes”. From group 3 children learn to read, write and count. In 8th grade, most students make the CITO test:
Cito test is a test of the Central Institute for Test Development that students pass so one can get an image what the most appropriate further education for the participating student could be. (kinda polish Test gimnazjalny)
With help of the results of the CITO test, students, with their parents and teachers choose an appropriate future school.
High school
After attending elementary education, Dutch children (by that time usually 12 years old) go directly to high school (voortgezet onderwijs; literally, "continued education"). Informed by the advice of the elementary school and the results of the Cito test, a choice is made for either vmbo, havo or vwo by the pupil and its parents.
Vmbo
The vmbo (voorbereidend middelbaar beroepsonderwijs; literally, "preparatory middle-level applied education") education lasts four years, from the age of twelve to sixteen. It combines vocational training with theoretical education in languages, mathematics, history, arts and sciences. Sixty percent of students nationally are enrolled in vmbo. From this, students can move on to HAVO level.
Havo
The havo (hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs ,literally, "higher general continued education") has five grades and is attended from age twelve to seventeen. A havo diploma provides access to the hbo level (polytechnic), mbo level (trade school level) or tertiary education.
Vwo
The vwo (voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs; literally, "preparatory scholarly education") lasts for 6 years and is for students from 12 to 18. From this level students pass through to the higher professional education (HBO) or university.
The vwo is divided into atheneum and gymnasium. A gymnasium programme is similar to the atheneum, except that Latin and Greek are compulsory courses
Tertiary education
MBO
The mbo (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs; literally, "middle-level applied education") is oriented towards vocational training. (kształcenie/edukacja zawodowa)
Many students of VMBO go on, after obtaining their degree, to the MBO. Middle-level applied education lasts four years. Then students go to the job market or HBO (higher professional education).
Higher education
Higher education in the Netherlands is offered at two types of institutions: universities of applied sciences (hogescholen; hbo) and research universities (universiteiten; wo).
HBO - higher professional education
With an MBO, HAVO or VWO diploma one can be admitted to the HBO. The higher professional education consists of two parts. A bachelor lasts four years and the master part lasts one or two years. One can omit the master part and go on to the job market.
WO - scientific education
With a VWO diploma or an HBO foundation course one can be admitted to university education. The university consists of two parts: a Bachelor's and Master. It is oriented towards higher learning in the arts or sciences.
Freedom of education
Freedom of education is a law under which anyone may set up a school. Freedom of education also means that parents can choose between public schools, education which is based on religious or ideological views (special education), and home schooling for their children. The freedom of education is intended to prevent educational monopolies.
Schools have to fulfill certain conditions, such as a minimum number of students. Both types of schools receive money from the government. If a group of parents wants a separate Christian school for their children, then the government should pay for the school.
Shortly, it means:
- freedom of foundation: basically anyone can open a school
- freedom of organization: there can be lessons given based on the ideological, religious or pedagogical vision (eg, Catholic worship)
- freedom of establishment: the school administration determines the form and content of education, whether or not based on a belief system or specific pedagogical principles
Black schools in Netherlands
Black school is a primary or secondary school, in which a large proportion of pupils are from ethnic minorities. Teachers often come from other countries too and do not speak Dutch very well.
The main problem is - lower level of education than in other schools. People say that students there don’t have to learn so much, they spend less time on education because there are too many differences in language knowledge. In the Netherlands, the terms “immigrant” and “black school” began to be insults. They are often associated with language delays, behavioral problems and crime. Because Dutch parents often want their children to go to a real "white" school - separation between native students and immigrants began to be a problem.
To fight against that there was made a new policy (“beleid”) – “Postcode policy”. [postcodebeleid]
It is an idea of government to keep schools mixed as much as possible.
It means that parents can’t send their children to schools outside a district in which they live. So when the only school near their house is a “less white school” – then they can’t choose between that one and another which is far away their home where the most pupils are native Dutch children.
The result is, moreover, that immigrant parents cannot search outside their neighborhood for a less “white school”. This policy is widely used in the United States and is starting to come in more areas in the Netherlands.
5 words:
1. Compulsory education - a period of education that is required of every person
2. Tertiary education - education at a college or university
3. Black school – school where are more immigrants than native speakers
4. Vocational training - training for a specific vocation in industry or agriculture or trade
5. Toddler’s class – groups 1 and 2 in Dutch elementary school