The Educational System
Information from the EU on the education system in the Netherlands...
Children in the 5-16 age group are obliged by law to attend school. Compulsory school attendance applies to all children who live in the Netherlands or stay there for long periods, regardless of their nationality or religion.
A child must attend school no later than the first day of the month following his or her fifth birthday. If a child's birthday is on 22 February, he or she must therefore attend school from 1 March onwards. The majority of children in the Netherlands (some 99%) start school at the age of four. During this extra year, children can get used to going to school and have the opportunity to learn to understand and speak Dutch better. This applies in particular to children who speak another language at home. A four-year-old child is not covered by the Compulsory Education Act after enrolling at a school. Parents can agree with the school on their child's presence at and absence from school.
After class 8 of primary education (public and religious education), children enter higher general secondary or pre-vocational secondary education. After four years, once the pupil has obtained a diploma he or she can, depending on the level of preparatory training, continue into senior vocational education or higher vocational education or university training.
From the age of 18, tuition fees must be paid. Study grants are very common in higher education.
School holidays
Certain periods in the school year are designated as holidays. It is not possible to keep children out of school because of a holiday outside these set periods, except with the consent of the local authority (compulsory attendance officer).
A child is obliged to attend school on a full-time basis up to and including the school year (1 August-31 July) in which he or she reaches the age of 16. This is followed by a partial attendance obligation. The young person must then follow a course for at least two days a week for one year at an educational establishment (secondary vocational education or adult education institution and institutions designated by the Education Minister). In the case of secondary vocational education combined with a practical training contract, the attendance requirement may be less than two days. This partial attendance obligation can be combined with a job. Young people who leave school after the school year in which they reach the age of 17 are not subject to a partial attendance obligation.
Text last edited on: 05/2010