The Dutch education system explained ! - Summary -

! ! ! CONTENTS: ! All about primary school (basisschool) (page 2) ! When school is out (after-school care & holidays) (page 13) ! Preschool (voorschool) (page 15) ! Page !1 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014 ! All about primary school (basisschool)

! ! Dutch or international primary school? ! ! ! Why an international primary school? ! • You are staying in the country for a short period • You have ‘older’ children (6+) • Your child has already gone to a school in another country • More easy to continue school in another country in the future • Make part of the international community • If you can aford it. (Sometimes companies pay for the international education of ! the children of their employees) ! ! Recognized international curricula: ! IPC: The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is a comprehensive, thematic, creative curriculum for 3-11 year olds, with a clear process of learning and with specific learning goals for every subject. It appeals to many international families due to !its internationally minded, as well as creative and rigorous approach to learning. IB: The IB (International Baccalaureate) program is an internationally recognized pre- university curriculum that ofers year 12 and 13 students (or year 11 and 12 in some schools) an opportunity to gain a diploma based on a comprehensive and !integrated curriculum that meets international standards. ! ! The following international schools are located in or near Amsterdam: !

• British School of Amsterdam (BSA) – Oud-Zuid (also preschool & secondary)

• Amsterdam International Community School (AICS) – primary (IPC) and secondary (IB) program. Subsidized by the Dutch government. (Near Station Zuid)

• International School of Amsterdam (ISA)- three IB programs (PYP, MYP, DP) - Amstelveen (also secondary)

• Gifted Minds International School, Amstelveen- start: October 2014 (ages 3-12), (IPC)

• Albert Einstein International School - Amstelveen (ages 2 - 12, also boarding school)

• The Japanese School of Amsterdam (Nieuw-West)

• French school ‘Lycée Vincent van Gogh’, (De Pijp) (ages 3-11)

• Little Universe: Bilingual, private, Montessori style (Oud-Zuid) ! ! ! Why a Dutch primary school? ! • You are staying in the for a longer period • You would like to ‘fit in’ better • Make Dutch friends, and get to know your neighbours. Please don’t underestimate the frequent playdates! • Learn Dutch (yes, you too :o)) • There are many demonstrated benefits of learning multiple languages at a younger age (cognitive, linguistic, and social) • Choice of educational philosophies/religions > find a school that matches best with your values and beliefs • Dutch schools are (almost) free. They do ask for a small ‘parent contribution’! (Ouderbijdrage – see below) ! ! ! ! !

Page !3 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014 The Dutch education system explained: ! ! • Most children start school the day after their fourth birthday. • This means that everyone starts on a diferent day and there is no ‘first day of school event’. • In the beginning of the school year the class is still relatively small and grows overtime. • From age 5 a child is obliged to go to school (leerplicht). This means that for the first year you are a bit more flexible. You can discuss together with your child’s teacher what works best for your child. • The first days/weeks the child goes to school for half days. This is the orientation/adjustment period. Usually the parents and teacher decide together when the child is ready to go to school ‘full-time’. • Most schools have group 1 & 2 combined. The children in this class are called ‘kleuters’. In the ‘kleuterklas’ they focus on learning through play, social skills, structure, and gradual preparation for reading and writing. • Formal reading and writing starts in group 3 (age 6). • Most schools take January 1st as the ‘cut of’ date to decide whether a child is ready for group 3. Children born before this date usually stay in the kleuterklas a bit less than 2 years, while children born after January 1st are kleuters for a bit over 2 years. Apart from the date of birth, the teacher also looks at their level of maturity, and readiness for formal learning. • There are eight years of primary school (basisschool). Most children start at age four in group one and move up a group every year. After group 8 (age 12) they go to high school. • The Dutch school attendance law (leerplichtwet) is very strict. From age 5 your child is only allowed to miss school when you can prove that you couldn’t go on holiday during the school vacations because of work, or because of a family emergency. Please take this law very seriously as you will be fined when you don’t ask for ofcial permission. • At age five, a child can get max. 5 hours per week of, without any specific reason. • Although Dutch schools are free, they do ask a small ‘parent contribution’ (ouderbijdrage) with which they pay extra things like school trips, celebrations (Sinterklaas, Christmas), a dedicated music teacher, or a student- run vegetable garden. Some school base the height of the ouderbijdrage on your household income. • Although this contribution is called ‘voluntarily’, if you decide not to pay it, your child might be excluded from above-mentioned events and activities. • Most schools only start giving homework in the higher classes, to prepare for high school. • Some schools keep record of the students’ performance by descriptive reports or a portfolio, rather than grades. • Twice per year, from group 1 or 2 on, the students take a test to measure their progress and to catch any learning difculties like dyslexia at an early stage. This is called the ‘pupil monitor system’ (leerlingvolgsysteem, LVS). This is also a way to measure the quality of teaching. Please note that the students can’t pass or fail these tests and that there are no direct consequences based on the outcome of the tests. ! ! Central end test of group 8 ! • In group 8, the last year of primary school, the students take the ‘Central end test for primary education’ (Centrale Eindtoets Basisonderwijs). This is an aptitude test, in which they measure what the students have learned in the past eight years. • Spread over three days, the students are given 290 multiple choice questions testing their Dutch language and comprehension skills, mathematics, study skills, and world orientation (which is a combination of history, geography, biology and world religions). The subject of world orientation is optional for schools. • Previously a foundation called Cito designed these tests. From the school year ’14/’15, next to the Cito test a few other tests have been ofcially approved by the Ministry of Education. • From the school year ’14/’15, all primary schools are obliged to take part in an end test. • Before the end test takes place (in April), the group 8 teacher assesses what level of high school education would fit each student best. They base their recommendation on the student’s test scores of their whole school career, intelligence, their attitude towards learning, eagerness to learn, interests, etc. • Based on the outcome of this test and the opinion of the teacher, the students get their advice for the appropriate level of high school education. The assessment of the teacher is the decisive factor. ! ! ! !

Page !5 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014 High school education: ! There are three ability levels in secondary school: ! VMBO - preparatory secondary vocational education: 4 years, followed by MBO HAVO - senior general secondary education: 5 years, followed by HBO VWO - pre-university education: 6 years, followed by University ! Many high schools have a mixed-level ‘bridge class’ in the 1st year After obtaining a diploma for a lower level, you may proceed to the next level. This route will take some extra time. !

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_Netherlands ! The three levels of education may lead to the following professions: ! • MBO (Intermediate Vocational Education): Assistant, Secretary, Security ofcer, Ofce employee, Hairdresser, Nurse, Childminder • HBO (Hogeschool/ University of Applied Sciences): Teacher, Accountant, Manager, Team leader, Banker, Architect, Art director, Journalist, Translator, Real estate agent, Advisor, Consultant, Midwife, Artist, Pilot • University (=WO): Lawyer, Psychologist, Doctor, Surgeon, Specialist, Expert, Researcher, Notary, Professor, Engineer, Scientist Quality of Dutch education: ! • High rankings for Dutch students in Pisa/OECD survey for 15-year-olds, especially in mathematics. This survey is conducted in 56 countries. • See also: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/ 10489496/OECD-education-report-Dutch-system-puts-premium-on-quality- standards.html. They have also interviewed me for this article! • The Dutch government spends more per child than most other OECD countries • In the Times Higher Education World University Ranking study, the Netherlands is usually the best represented country after the US and UK. Please note that the Dutch universities are all funded by the government and the fee is only € 1.906 per year. • Dutch high school teachers may get a scholarship of max. 7000 Euro to obtain an additional bachelor or master's degree. This continuing professional development increases the quality of education ofered nationally. ! ! School hours: ! • Schools may decide on their own opening hours. • Usually school starts around 8:45am and ends around 3:15pm. • Lunch break of about 45 minutes, during which the children can either go home or have lunch at school (‘overblijven’). For the children who stay at school, an additional fee (overblijfgeld) has to be paid. They have to bring their own lunch (usually bread, milk and some fruit). • Some schools have a ‘continuous’ schedule (continurooster), where all students have lunch at school in the classroom with their teacher. Their lunch break is shorter and the school ends earlier compared to the schools that have ‘overblijven’. • On Wednesday afternoons most schools close at around 12:30pm for the day. ! ! Parent involvement: ! Parent involvement is very important in Dutch schools. A few times per year you will be invited to have a conversation with the teacher about your child’s progress (10-minutengesprek).

Page !7 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014 They also need some parents to accompany on school trips, or help in the school library, as a lice-parent, school crossing patrol, story reading, decorating the classroom for special events/celebrations. Usually each class has two ‘class parents’, who help the teacher with the organisation of some events and with the communication between the teacher and the parents. ! ! Choice in education: ! The schooling system in the Netherlands emphasizes choice in education. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) sets quality standards, attainment targets and social objectives, but individual schools ‘fill in the details’ of the curriculum and budget allocation. Education policy includes combating school segregation, integrating special needs children, tackling early school leaving and addressing teacher shortage. ! Types of schools: In the Netherlands we distinguish public schools (openbaar) and special schools. The special schools follow particular religious or pedagogic principles (see below). Special schools have had equal state funding to public schools since 1917 (Freedom of Education Act). ! Special schools are not to be confused with "speciaal onderwijs", which refers to schools specialized to deal with students who have more severe learning problems. The national ‘Appropriate Education’ (Passend Onderwijs) policy is designed to enable as many children with minor learning difculties as possible to be educated in mainstream schools. Finally there are also some private schools—-of which there is a very small but slowly increasing number—they don’t receive state funding. !Home schooling is generally not allowed. ! Openbare schools (OBS): ! • Openbare (state-run) schools provide secular (non-religious) education, but they may also ofer teaching around specific philosophic or pedagogic principles (see below). • Public schools are governed by the municipal council or a public legal entity or foundation set up by the council. • Public schools also celebrate the holidays of various religions. • All children are allowed, both religious and non-religious. Special schools: ! • Most special schools are religious (Catholic, Protestant, Generic Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Hindu) or follow specific philosophic or pedagogic principles (Montessori, Vrije school (Waldorf/Steiner), Dalton, Jenaplan, etc). • Special schools have their own board, which usually consists of parents or the foundation that set them up. • Up to a certain extent special schools may make their own rules. • All children are allowed at the religious schools, but they emphasize the religion at hand. •Up to two-thirds of Dutch children attend a special school. • All schools are obliged to adhere to the ‘core objectives’ (kerndoelen) set by the government. They specify per year what all students in all schools need to accomplish. The individual schools may fill in the specific details.

! Most common educational or pedagogic principles: ! ! Montessori:

The Montessori system has been named after it’s founder, the Italian doctor and educational specialist Maria Montessori (1870 –1952). The Montessori approach fosters children’s love of learning and encourages independence by providing an environment of activities and materials which children use at their own pace. This builds self-confidence, inner discipline, a sense of self-worth and instills positive social behavior. Learning takes place in a mixed age group so that older children can act as models for the younger ones, and the younger children learn from observing the older children. The sense of community in the group is very strong. Children learn how to care for themselves, care for others and care for their environment. Their motto is “Help me to do it myself”. ! Page !9 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014 Dalton:

The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst (USA, 1887- 1973). They focus on Freedom of choice, Independence, and Working together. Students work with Assignments, a monthly larger goal which they contract to complete, and Laboratories, in which they explore specific themes at their own pace. Helen Parkhurst used to work together with Maria Montessori, and you’ll find some similarities between both systems. The biggest diferences are that Dalton promotes working in groups, while at Montessori schools students usually only work together on their own initiative. In Dalton schools there is usually one age group per class, while Montessori combines three age groups. Some of the Dalton schools are religious. ! ! Vrije school (Waldorf/Steiner):

Vrije schools follow the educational philosophy of Rudolph Steiner (, 1861 – 1925), and are commonly referred to in the English-speaking world as Waldorf !schools. Rudolf Steiner was also the founder of anthroposophy. Waldorf pedagogy distinguishes three broad stages in child development, each lasting approximately seven years. In the early years education focuses on providing practical, hands-on activities and environments that encourage creative play. In elementary school, the emphasis is on developing pupils' artistic expression and social capacities, fostering both creative and analytical modes of understanding. Their main goal is to develop free, morally responsible, and integrated individuals equipped with a high degree of social competence. ! ! Jenaplan:

The Jenaplan school concept was developed by prof. Peter Petersen (1884-1952) of the University of , . The Dutch Jenaplan-concept was also influenced by the non-graded schools in the US (Goodlad/Anderson), the British !Infant Schools and Freinet-education. Prof. Petersen centered his model around the concept of community life. Important values are autonomy and learning through self-discovery, role plays and improvisations. Students work through self-instruction with the help of a structured weekly work schedule. A lot of teaching takes plays through conversations and discussions while all students sit in a circle. Celebrations also play an important role. !Some of the Jenaplan schools are religious. ! Foreign language education and bilingual schools: ! By law all schools have to start teaching English not later than in group 7. More and more schools choose to start earlier and take part in the VVTO program, which stands for Early Foreign Language Education. ! A new development are the bilingual schools that teach between 30% and 50% of the time in English. ! Bilingual schools in Amsterdam: • Little Universe (Private, bilingual Montessori style; Amsterdam Zuid) • De Visserschool (National bilingual pilot school, Protestant, West) • Kindercampus Zuidas (since August 2014, Openbaar with Montessori background, incl. preschool, daycare and BSO, near Station Zuid) • Denise (since August 2014, regular school, IPC program, also secondary: Berlage Lyceum) • For the schools in Amsterdam with a VVTO program see www.onderwijsconsument.nl/vroeg-vreemdetalenonderwijs-in-amsterdam Page !11 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014

How to select a school: ! • Priority criteria (voorrang), based on postcode, older siblings already attending the school, preschool attendance, etc. See www.schoolwijzer.amsterdam.nl and the separate document explaining the letter from the Gemeente Amsterdam about the new application policy for primary schools • Educational philosophy/religion • Average CITO-score + high school advice. See www.scholenopdekaart.nl • Rating by the school inspection service. See http://tkrtp.owinsp.nl/ schoolwijzer/zoek_scholen. Tip: you want to selects those schools with ‘basic supervision’ (Basistoezicht), indicated by a green color • Early Foreign Language education (VVTO) • Brede school/IKC (internal preschool, day care, and after-school care, extra- curricular activities) • Special focus on arts, culture, sports, music, science • Remedial teaching for children who need more attention/ Plusklas for gifted children • Class sizes ! ! Compare schools: ! • http://10000scholen.nl (national) • www.scholenopdekaart.nl (national) • www.schoolwijzer.amsterdam.nl (Amsterdam) ! Visit the schools you are interested in at an ‘information morning’ (informatie- ochtend). Ask lots of questions, see the separate ‘Checklist Basisschool’. Usually you have to sign-up in advance for these info sessions.

Visit multiple schools, so you can get a feel for each school – it is a very personal decision. With the choice of the school for your child, you decide to a large extent how they will learn academically and how they will grow emotionally, physically and socially.

Tip: when you make an appointment for the information morning, ask them whether you can ask a few additional questions in English after the tour, so they can already reserve some extra time for you.

Keep regular contact with the schools to show you are interested (without being annoying!) When school is out ! ! !After-school care (BSO/NSO): Basisscholen are required to ofer after-school care to their students. Usually they contract an external organization. The BSO teachers pick the children up from the school and bring them to the BSO-location. You pick-up your child there, usually before 6-6:30pm. Ask your school which BSO they have contracted, and register your child there for !the days of your choice. During school holidays and other days that the school is closed, the BSO is open !all day. You will have to pay a fee to the BSO, for which you may get a tax rebate !(Kinderopvangtoeslag). !

Brede school/IKC:

Brede scholen ("wide" schools) and IKCs combine primary school with preschool, day care, after-school care, welfare, sports and culture; usually all within the same multi-functional building. These schools sometimes also ofer courses to the parents (for example Dutch classes, or parenting tips). This saves a lot on logistics. ! ! 'Host parent' (gastouder) An alternative for the BSO is a 'host parent' (gastouder). This is a kind of nanny who picks-up your child from school, and babysits at your house, or at her house where there will be more children present. They are more flexible in terms of hours and pick-up. When they have obtained all necessary qualifications and are registered with an ofcial agency, you may be entitled to a tax rebate !(Kinderopvangtoeslag). ! !

Page !13 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014 School holidays and the obliged school attendance periods in between:

Holiday periods for primary schools are set nationally with staggered start/finish times between three regions in order to spread out most of the holiday-rush, see www.minocw.nl/schoolvakanties for the exact dates.

Private international school holidays can be diferent. !

Truant ofcers:

The municipality (Gemeente) employs school attendance ofcers (leerplichtambtenaren) to check whether all children are going to school. Should a student play truant for more than three consecutive days, the school is required to notify the school attendance ofcer. They will investigate the reason behind the absence and may take action. They can draw up an ofcial report. Also at the airport there are truant ofcers to check whether the school-going children have permission to miss school. !

Exemptions:

Only in exceptional situations a child can be temporarily exempted from compulsory education, e.g. if your profession makes it impossible for you to be of during the school holidays. Your employer must provide proof of this. The period of leave may not take place during the first two weeks of the school year.

Under other special circumstances like a family emergency, a child may also obtain permission to miss school. This is for a maximum of ten days. In case of longer leave, the school attendance ofcer will decide, in consultation with the head teacher.

When your child will have to be absent from school outside of the holiday periods, you have to complete a form (‘Aanvraagformulier voor vakantieverlof buiten de schoolvakanties tot ten hoogste 10 schooldagen’) at least 8 weeks in advance and have it signed by the head teacher. The school is obliged to send the completed form to the attendance ofcer. You can request this form from your school’s admin.

You are advised to take this procedure very seriously as you can be fined when you have not complied with the rules. ! ! Preschool (voorschool) ! Every city has their own policy for preschools. Below you’ll find the policy for Amsterdam: ! • All children aged 2.5 to 4 may attend preschool. • At preschool they dedicate a lot of attention to Dutch language acquisition, and the social, physical and creative development of the children. They play games, sing, draw, play outside and listen to stories. • The preschool teachers have a dedicated diploma and their program is more structured than at day cares. • There are 4 types of methods that preschools can choose from (Piramide, Ko- totaal, Kaleidoscoop, Startblokken). • At the Consultatiebureau/GGD you can fill out a form to register for the preschool, but you can also contact the preschool directly (See ‘How to find a preschool’ below) • For most preschools you can already register when your child turns 1 • As many preschools have a waiting list, don’t wait too long! • When a child is 18 months old, the Consultatiebureau (GGD/OKC) nurse decides with the help of a checklist whether a child should get a ‘VVE indication’ • This indication is provided to children whose parents are lower educated, who have a language delay in their native language, or when there is another reason to expect that the child will be falling behind at school at a later stage. Please note that the rules for the VVE-indication have become more strict since April 2014. • Children who have a VVE-indication have to follow 4 mornings of preschool per week. • For children without the indication a minimum of 2 mornings applies. • In case of waiting lists, children who have a VVE-indication have priority over the children who haven’t. • Be prepared that preschools require close involvement from the parents. • Preschools are linked to a specific primary school (basisschool), which means that in group 1 and 2 they follow the same method. For this reason it is important to know already which basisschool you would like to send your child to. • The added bonus of this is that your child will already know some classmates when s/he starts primary school and will be familiar with the methods of education. • At the primary school lottery, only those children with a VVE-indication who have attended the connected preschool for at least 8 months for 4 mornings per week will have priority over the other children. • Fees: Preschools are free. Provided there is a place, children without a VVE- indication may attend two days extra for additional payment. There are also some day cares that ofer a preschool program. In this case you pay the regular ! daycare fees. ! Page !15 Annebet van Mameren - New2nl - December 2014 ! How to find a preschool in Amsterdam? ! In Amsterdam Zuid, West, Nieuw-West, Noord, Oost, and Zuid-Oost most preschools are run by Combiwel. See www.combiwel.nl.

IJsterk runs most preschools in Centrum and West: !http://www.welzijn.ijsterk.nl/index.php?ru=30&lc=0&st=rd In Oost you can contact Dynamo: www.dynamo-amsterdam.nl/dynamo/ !activiteiten/peuters.aspx ! ! ! !Good luck! Annebet van Mameren !New2nl ! !