DUTCH EDUCATION
Introduction
Education is compulsory (leerplicht) in the Netherlands from the ages of 5 to 16, however, most children start to attend primary school at age 4. While the structure of primary education in the Netherlands is straightforward, the structure of the Dutch secondary education system often seems confusing because of the multiple paths and graduation ages in high school.
In reality, Dutch secondary schools are similar to those in most other countries, with one stream to prepare students for vocational training (VMBO), and another to prepare students for university (VWO). The main difference in the Netherlands is that there is a third, middle, stream in high schools that prepares students to study at universities of applied sciences (HAVO).
DUTCH SCHOOLS
Education in the Netherlands consists of the following levels:
● Pre-Primary Education
● Basisschool (Primary Education)
● Secondary Education (VMBO, HAVO, VWO)
● Tertiary Education:
- Vocational Education (MBO and company schools)
- University of Applied Sciences (HBO)
- Research University (Universiteit)
2 Education
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL EINDHOVEN
(Primary and Secondary education)
The International School Eindhoven provides primary and secondary education for the children of internationally-minded families within the Brainport region – a flourishing creative region, here in the southern part of the Netherlands. They are accredited with the Council of International Schools, which ensures that they not only offer programs that meet the highest of international standards, but have committed themselves to a process of continual improvement and development. They are also a member of a wider foundation of schools, called the SPVOZN; all working together for the benefit of the wider community. Together they offer students the opportunity to study with us from childhood to adulthood.
Oirschotsedijk 14B, 5651 GC Eindhoven www.isecampus.nl
HERITAGE LANGUAGE EDUCATION NETWORK
Heritage Language Education Network for multilingual children. A heritage language school is a program which offers children the opportunity to develop one of the languages they speak at home or that is part of their cultural heritage. The classes take place after school or in the weekend throughout the school year. This form of education is available in over twenty languages in Eindhoven. For a list of all the heritage language schools please check: www.hollandexpatcenter.com/en/living-in/language/heritage-schools or www.hlenet.org
3
Childcare
There is a law that deals with the quality, management and finances of childcare in the Netherlands. It starts from the principle that childcare is a matter for parents, employers and authorities. Employers can reimburse (tax-free) one third of the costs. Ask for reimbursement from the national authorities. (The childcare centre must be accredited and registered in the place where you live.)
There are many options for childcare:
● The Peuterspeelzaal (toddler group) for children 2-4. Children play together twice a week, usually for two hours each visit. The costs are modest and are often relative to income.
● Kinderdagverblijf (daycare centre) for children 0-4. Children may be present for a half or an entire day.
● Buitenschoolse Opvang (Afterschool Care) Primary schools must offer afterschool care, and often work together with an established daycare centre. If the location of the afterschool care is not walking distance from the school, then taxis are hired to transport the children.
● A Gastouder (host parent) offers childcare in a domestic situation, either at the host parent’s home or at the child’s home. Host parents often take care of a few children at a time.
If your child(ren) will be going to daycare, then you are likely eligible for a Kinderopvangtoeslag (Childcare Benefit). This is a subsidy to help cover the costs of childcare. In order to receive a childcare benefit, both you and your benefit partner must be employed or studying.
4
Primary Education
Most primary schools are public (state-owned) or faith-based (Protestant, Catholic, Muslim, or Jewish). There are also schools that teach according to a specific method, for example, Montessori, Jenaplan, Vrije Scholen, or Dalton. Parents may send their children to a public school or to a special school, which are run by the local authorities and are for everyone regardless of religion or philosophy.
● The curriculum is broad, and progress is monitored by standard testing (CITO).
● In the final year of primary school, parents, children and teachers decide together, with the help of standardized national tests (CITO), which type of secondary school is most appropriate for the student.
● Children aged 4 can start to attend school, and are required to attend after they turn 5, until 16.
● The school year begins in August and is broken up by holidays.
Salto International school Rise
This school has a hybrid international primary curriculum. Around 50% of the classes will be taught in Dutch: as formal language classes and also integrated in other subjects, like mathematics. The other half of the time, the children will work with the international primary curriculum (IPC) in English or/and their mother tongue. Of course English will also be taught in formal language classes, also as additional language or at mother tongue level.
SALTO international school consists of 2 locations:
● SALTO international school RISE Reigerlaan 3 in Eindhoven.
● SALTO international school I-St@rt Meerbos 16 in Eindhoven.
For more information, visit: www.salto-internationalschool.nl
5
Language friendly schools in Eindhoven
Language Friendly Schools are schools that have developed a language plan. It is a plan that is adapted to the school’s own needs and aims at creating an inclusive and language friendly learning environment for all students.
● SALTO-school Floralaan, Floralaan West 264
● SALTO-school Hobbitstee, Schelluinen 2
● SALTO-school Reigerlaan, Reigerlaan 3
Primary school Wereldwijzer
● SALTO-school RISE, Tafelbergplein 8
● SALTO-school de Ontmoeting, Hettenheuvellaan 2A
Primary education for newcomers offers education for pupils age 4 to 12 years, who come from abroad. Pupils can start at any time during the school year. In 40 to 60 weeks they will learn to understand, speak, read and write Dutch, so that they can transfer to regular education.
Pastoriestraat 88, Eindhoven, www.wereldwijzereindhoven.com
Primary school ‘t Slingertouw
This school consists of two locations in the Meerhoven district. The educational methods and philosophies used are the same. At this school, a so-called ‘continuous schedule’ is implemented.
Grasland 1, Eindhoven, www.basisschoolslingertouw.nl
Primary school De Groene Vlinder
In the language class, an experienced teacher supervises children who are still learning the Dutch language. In this class, children learn to expand their vocabulary and get pre-teaching for the lessons in their own class. In their own class they meet Dutch peers.
Mirabelweg 96, Eindhoven, www.bs-degroenevlinder.nl
6
Primary schools in Eindhoven:
Area
Schools
Gestel Stratum
- SALTO school De Hobbitstee
- SKPO school De Kameleon
- SKPO school De Springplank
- SALTO school De Trinoom
- SKPO school De Troubadour
- SALTO school Hanevoet
- SKPO school Karel de Grote
- SALTO Reigerlaan
(International) school
- SKPO school ‘t Startblok
- SKPO school Beppino Sarto
- SALTO school De Hasselbraam
- SALTO school De Klimboom
- VSEZ school De Regenboog
- SKPO school De Talisman
- SKPO school De Wilakkers
- SALTO school De Zevensprong
- SALTO school basisschool Floralaan
Area Strijp Tongelre
Schools
- SALTO school De Bergen
- SKPO school De Schakel
- SALTO school De Startbaan
- SALTO school Drents Dorp
- SKPO school ‘t Slingertouw
- SKPO school Theresia
- SKPO school Trudo
- SKPO school De Boog
- SALTO school De Driesprong
- SALTO school Nutsschool
Reigerlaan
- SKPO school BoschAkker
- SALTO school ‘t Karregat
Woensel
- Islamic school Tarieq Ibnoe
Ziyad
- SALTO school Cornelis Jetses
- SALTO school De Driestam
- SALTO school De Groene
Vlinder
- SALTO school De Klapwiek
- SALTO school De Ontmoeting
- SALTO school De Opbouw
- SALTO school De Tempel
- SALTO school De Vuurvlinder
- SEOO school Evangelische Basisschool Online
- SKPO school ‘t Palet
- SKPO school Atalanta
- SKPO school De Bijenkorf
- SKPO school De Boschuil
- SKPO school De Handreiking
- SKPO school De Korenaar
- SKPO school De Schelp
- SKPO school Fellenoord
- SKPO school Gunterslaer
- SKPO school Klimwijs
- SKPO school Onder de Wieken
- SKPO school Rapenland
- SKPO school St. Antonius Abt
- SKPO school Tweelingen
- SKPO school Wethouder van Eupen
- VSB school Vrije School
Brabant
Special needs primary education:
- SALTO school Jan Nieuwenhuizen
- SKPO school De Reis van Brandaan
- SKPO school Petraschool
- SALTO school De Vijfkamp
7
● Kinderdagverblijf (daycare centre)
● A Gastouder (host parent)
● Peuterspeelzaal (toddler group)
required starting age 5 (most start at age 4)
PRIMARY EDUCATION
PRIMARY EDUCATION
Childcare
age 0-4
● Buitenschoolse Opvang (Afterschool Care)
● A Gastouder (host parent)
8
SECONDARY EDUCATION
Research University (Universiteit)
University of Applied Sciences (HBO) Vocational Education (MBO and company schools)
TERTIARY EDUCATION
HAVO VMBO VWO
9
Secondary Education
The Dutch system streams students earlier than elsewhere, not only in terms of academic ability, but also in terms of a future career. Children usually attend a secondary school from ages 12 to 18.
● There are three types of secondary schools in the Netherlands:
- VMBO (pre-vocational secondary education)
- HAVO (senior general secondary education)
- VWO (pre-university education)
● The school week is more dynamic than in many countries. Students start and end their day at differing times, according to their studies. An increasing number of Dutch schools offer their more academic students a bilingual education (TTO). In this system, about 50% of subjects are taught entirely in English.
● Dutch schools offer relatively little in terms of sports facilities or extra-curricular activities. Most Dutch children belong to a sports club outside of school. More internationally orientated secondary schools in Eindhoven and region are:
Stedelijk College (Eindhoven)
Stedelijk College offers bilingual education. At the Henegouwenlaan location, bilingual education (TTO) is offered to mavo, havo and vwo classes. From year 1, the pupils receive half of their subjects in English. After three years, the students receive a diploma showing that they have followed English-language subjects at a certified TTO school. After that, they receive their diploma with the IB-English certificate that allows them to study anywhere in the world.
Henegouwenlaan 2, 5628 WK Eindhoven
www.stedelijkcollege.nl
10
Sondervick college (Veldhoven)
Sondervick College offers Secondary School education catering for all academic levels (Vmbo, Mavo, Havo and Vwo), from vocational to pre-University level. Students have the added choice of bilingual education (TTO) which provides the opportunity to follow on average 50% of the subjects through English. The Dutch curriculum requires a working command of the Dutch language, Sondervick College provides support and guidance for their non-Dutch speaking students. From September 2023, there will be a new department at Sondervick College: the International Middle Years Program (Mavo, Havo and VWO level). This new, English-taught degree program also explicitly focuses on Dutch as a second language.
Knegselseweg 30, 5504 NC Veldhoven
www.sondervick.nl/onderwijs/tweetalig-onderwijs
Jan van Brabant College (Helmond)
At this school you can also follow mavo, havo and vwo bilingually. If you follow bilingual education, most subjects will be taught in English. They work with English-language learning methods and speak a lot of English in the classroom.
As a TTO student at this school, you will be offered extras in English in the form of an extensive internationalization program.
Molenstraat 191, 5701 KD Helmond
www.molenstraat.janvanbrabant.nl
11
Secondary schools in Eindhoven:
Area
Schools
Gestel Stratum Woensel
- Huygens Lyceum
- Aloysius/De Roosten
- Van Maerlant Lyceum
- Heliconopleidingen
“Groenschool”
Area Strijp
Schools
- Sint Lucas Eindhoven
- Montessori College ROC
Eindhoven
- Olympia
- SG Augustinianum
- De Burgh
- Sint-Joris College
Tongelre
- Frits Philips Lyceum
- Eckartcollege
- Novalis College
- De Rooi Pannen
- Stedelijk College Eindhoven
- International Secondary School Eindhoven
Special needs secondary education:
- Sondervickcollege at location de Stolberg
- De Korenaer
- Mgr. Bekkers
- De Beemden
- Mytylschool
- Antoon Schellens College
- Praktijkschool Eindhoven
- VSO Ekkersbeek
- Instituut ‘St. Marie’
- Helder HAVO/VWO
European International School
The European School of Mol just across the border in Belgium welcomes all students (nursery school, primary school and secondary school). Their student body is composed of children from local families as well as from European and overseas families who live and work in Belgium and The Netherlands.
www.esmol.be
- Lorentz Casimir Lyceum
12
Tertiary Education
The South of the Netherlands offers excellent higher education possibilities.
The Netherlands has first-class colleges and universities that provide a wide variety of courses. Many classes are available in English, including all Master’s classes.
Universities
Brabant is home to the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) and Tilburg University.
Elsewhere in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Leiden, Wageningen, Nijmegen, Maastricht, Groningen and Twente) are top universities with specific orientations.
As of 1 January 2020, TU/e switched to English as the lingua franca (working language) across the board. This applies to management, education, research and services.
Universities of Applied Sciences in Brabant (HBO)
The Design Academy Eindhoven, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Breda University of Applied Sciences, and Avans University of Applied Sciences.
Vocational Education
Other public institutions hosted for higher and adult education in Eindhoven, MBO and company schools (Vocational Education) are: Sint Lucas Eindhoven and Summa College.
13
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
The school holidays of the different regions in the Netherlands are registered on this official government website. Eindhoven is part of “Regio Zuid”.
www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/schoolvakanties/overzichtschoolvakanties-per-schooljaar
The summer holiday for primary schools is six weeks, and seven weeks for secondary schools. Holidays are staggered across three national regions (north, central and south).
Education 14
15
www.hollandexpatcenter.com: The most comprehensive website for internationals living and working in Brabant.
Newsletter: Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get up-to-date news about the region!
www.hollandexpatcenter.com/newsletter/
Social Media: Connect with us!
Instagram - @thehollandexpatcentersouth
LinkedIn - The Holland Expat Center
YouTube - HollandExpatCenter
Events: Meet other internationals living in the area, and get information about important topics!
Check www.hollandexpatcenter.com/events/ for more information!
