Education System the Netherlands
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The education system of the Netherlands Flow chart Education system The Netherlands This document provides information about the education system of the Netherlands. We explain the most common Dutch qualifications and the admission to Dutch higher education. Disclaimer We assemble the information for these descriptions of education systems with the greatest care. However, we cannot be held responsible for the consequences of errors or incomplete information in this document. Copyright With the exception of images and illustrations, the content of this publication is subject to the Creative Commons Name NonCommercial 3.0 Unported licence. Visit www.nuffic.nl/en/subjects/copyright for more information on the reuse of this publication. Education system The Netherlands | Nuffic | 2nd Edition, January 2011 | Version 6, July 2019 2 Flow chart Education system The Netherlands Flow chart: the Dutch education system Doctorate (PhD) L8 L8 (PhD)(research universities) 4 4 Professional Doctorate in Engineering (PDEng) L8 (research universities) 2 postgraduate Master's degree L7 Master’s degree L7 (research universities) (universities of applied sciences) 1-3 1-2 Bachelor's degree L6 Bachelor’s degree L6 Associate degree L5 (research universities) (universities of applied sciences) (universities of applied sciences) 3 4 2 undergraduate mbo-diploma L4 (senior secondary vocational education and training) 1-4 vwo-diploma L4 havodiploma L4 vmbo-diploma L2/2 (pre-university education) (senior general secondary education) (pre-vocational secondary education) 6 5 4 Basisonderwijs L1 (primary education) 8 Indicates right to access Some form of selection may be applied 0 Duration of education Education system The Netherlands | Nuffic | 2nd Edition, January 2011 | Version 6, July 2019 3 Flow chart Education system The Netherlands National qualifications framework The Dutch Qualifications Framework (NLQF) comprises 8 qualification levels and 1 entry level. Source: National Coordination Point NLQF (NCP NLQF). The table below features the various Dutch diplomas on the left and the equivalent levels within the European and Dutch qualifications frameworks on the right. Dutch qualifications EQF level NLQF level Doctor 8 8 Master 7 7 Bachelor 6 6 Associate degree 5 5 VWO 4 4+ MBO 4 or HAVO 4 4 MBO 3 3 3 VMBO-kb, VMBO-gl, VMBO-tl or MBO 2 2 2 VMBO-bb or MBO 1 1 1 Education system The Netherlands | Nuffic | 2nd Edition, January 2011 | Version 6, July 2019 4 Flow chart Education system The Netherlands Introduction The Netherlands is officially part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, an independent country which also comprises 3 other constituent countries: Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten made up part of the Netherlands Antilles until their dissolution in 2010. The Netherlands has since governed the other Netherlands Antilles islands as (special) municipalities: Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba. NB Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, also referred to as the BES islands, are described under the education system for Curaçao. Form of government The Netherlands is a parliamentary democracy with a king as its head of state and a government led by a prime minister. Parliament comprises the Senate, with a total of 75 members, and the House of Representatives with 150 members. The Netherlands is divided into 12 provinces. The responsibilities of the government and provinces are set out in the constitution. European Union As a Western European nation, the Netherlands has been a member of the EU since 1958. Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and the Dutch municipalities in the Caribbean are not part of the EU. Education The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap – OCW) is responsible for the education system and must comply with relevant national legislation in the form of: • the Primary Education Act; • the Secondary Education Act; • the Act on Vocational Education and Training (WEB); • the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW); • the Student Finance Act 2000 (WSF 2000). The WSF was most recently amended in 2007, with the following major result: effective 1 September 2007, students working to obtain a higher education degree abroad may continue to receive their grants and loans under specific circumstances. Ministry of Education The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is largely responsible for education funding, sets general education policy and determines the broad frameworks in terms of admission requirements and the structure and objectives of the Education system The Netherlands | Nuffic | 2nd Edition, January 2011 | Version 6, July 2019 5 Flow chart Education system The Netherlands education system. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy are also involved in substantive aspects of higher education. Institutions at all levels (primary, secondary and higher education) have been offered a greater degree of freedom to implement government policy as they see fit. Education system The Dutch education system is made up of: • primary education; • secondary education; and • higher education. Higher education is based around a binary system, which distinguishes between: • research-oriented higher education (WO); and • higher professional education (HBO). General features • Compulsory education: age 5 to 16. • Language of instruction: Dutch, although English is increasingly common (at all levels). • School year: August to July (varies depending on the region). • Academic year: 1 September to 31 August. Education system The Netherlands | Nuffic | 2nd Edition, January 2011 | Version 6, July 2019 6 Flow chart Education system The Netherlands Primary and secondary education Primary education Dutch children receive primary education (basisonderwijs): • between the ages of 4 and 12; • it is compulsory from age 5. Primary education lasts 8 years (groups 1-8) and is offered at primary schools and special needs primary schools. These forms of education are jointly referred to as primary education. There are both public and special primary schools; the latter are based around a specific belief and/or didactic principle (e.g. Dalton Plan and Montessori schools). A total of 19 primary schools also offer bilingual education (vroegvreemdetalenonderwijs, VVTO). Pupils subsequently transfer to secondary education institutions at various levels, depending on their results. Pupils in group 8, the final year of primary education, choose a secondary education pathway. This choice will generally be based on the school type recommendation. Secondary education There are 2 basic pathways: • general education (VMBO-T, and HAVO or VWO); • pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO-bb/kb/gl). Secondary education (voortgezet onderwijs), which was referred to as middelbaar onderwijs prior to introduction of the so-called Mammoth Act in 1968, is intended for children aged 12 through 16, 17 or 18. Education is compulsory for pupils aged 5 to 16. Young people between the ages of 16–18 are subject to basic qualification requirement, i.e. they must attend school until they have obtained a diploma (basic qualification) or reached the age of 18. General secondary education (HAVO/VWO) Pupils can choose between 2 types of education: • senior general secondary education (hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs, HAVO); • pre-university education (voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs, VWO). There are various types of VWO schools: • gymnasium • atheneum • VWO+ • technasium Education system The Netherlands | Nuffic | 2nd Edition, January 2011 | Version 6, July 2019 7 Flow chart Education system The Netherlands Pupils at a gymnasium follow all regular atheneum subjects supplemented with Greek and Latin. VWO+ (VWO plus) consists of atheneum subjects supplemented with Latin. VWO and HAVO pupils can opt for a technasium. This is a type of school that emphasises research & design and focuses on the development of sciences-related skills. Some schools also offer bilingual education (tweetalig onderwijs, TTO). At these schools, HAVO and VWO pupils are taught part of the curriculum in a second language. Although this will generally be English, German and French are logically more common in the border regions with Germany and Belgium respectively. At least 50% of all lower-year classes are taught in the second language. Senior general secondary education (HAVO) • Duration: 5 years (3 initial lower-level years + 2 upper years). • Content: broad range of subjects during the initial years, followed by a subject cluster (profiel) for more in-depth specialisation. Diploma: HAVO diploma, following a national examination in at least 7 subjects. Pre-university education (VWO) • Duration: 6 years (3 initial lower-level years + 3 upper years). • Content: broad range of subjects during the initial years, followed by a subject cluster (profiel) for more in-depth specialisation. Diploma: VWO diploma, following a national examination in at least 8 subjects. The lower-level years offer a broad range of subjects that are basically accessible to all pupils with a HAVO or VWO recommendation. All pupils must also take part in orientation programmes aimed at finding a suitable future study and profession. After 1 or 2 years of transition class, pupils will be issued a recommendation for HAVO or VWO. Subject cluster By the end of year 3, pupils must choose 1 of the 4 available subject clusters in preparation for the various higher education tracks: • culture and society • economics