Studying in Brabant

The philosophy behind Dutch education reflects Dutch society. It aims to encourage students to be open-minded, and to be able to think and to learn in a creative manner.

5. STUDYING IN BRABANT

5.1 Dutch Schools 5.2 International Schools 5.3 Colleges and Universities 5.4 Language Courses 5.5 Volunteering

5.1 Dutch Schools

Dutch Primary Education

Most primary schools are openbaar (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 18. ● The school year begins in August and is broken up by holidays.

Dutch 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. 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.

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).

5.2 International Schools

Most international schools use the curriculum and exam structure of the International Baccalaureate Organisation or International Primary Curriculum. Students are either the children of expat parents who may only be in the Netherlands for a few years, or the children of Dutch parents who may be moving abroad in the near future, or are returning from an expatriate assignment.

Advantages of an international education:

● Provides social interaction with a broad spectrum of the international community.

Tip! International schools linked to a Dutch school can also help long-term expat children foster contact with Dutch students. ● Dutch is offered as a second language, and sometimes a

Dutch stream is offered.

● They link better with other educational systems.

Tip! This is an important consideration for those who plan to return to their home country or elsewhere after a few years. ● The staff is experienced in educating children who are only there for a short amount of time. ● Dutch schools often have interrupted school days where children come home for lunch; international schools do not.

International primary education

In Brabant, international primary education is offered at the International School Eindhoven (ISE) and the International

School Breda (ISB).

More information about international schools in the Netherlands can be found on: www.dutchinternationalschools.nl.

● The curriculum framework meets the Dutch educational legislation. However, within this framework schools can use the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), or the

British system. ● Private schools, such as British or American institutes, can choose to follow the curriculum and exams used in their country of origin.

Fees vary from school to school, but employers sometimes contribute partly to the cost of educating their employees’ children. Speak to a tax consultant regarding tax exemptions and implications of school fees.

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS

● There are 16 Dutch International Primary Schools and 13 Dutch

International Secondary Schools in the Netherlands, including two in Brabant: International School Eindhoven and International

School Breda. ● Publicly funded international schools have a Dutch stream and an international stream. The publicly funded international education (Internationaal Georiënteerd Onderwijs, IGO) is education in English within the Dutch educational program intended for specific ‘international’ target groups. ● Some are subsidized by the Ministry of Education and are bound by ministry rules, while others are privately operated. ● Privately operated schools are generally more expensive than government-funded and Dutch schools (which are also government-funded and largely free). ● In general, private international schools only have Englishlanguage education. ● Many international schools employ remedial teachers and have facilities for children who need extra attention.

International secondary education

Students prepare for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examination over four or five years, or take part in the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP). Students who pass this stage can then embark on the two-year International Baccalaureate (IB). After the IB or equivalent exam, students are qualified to take part in Englishlanguage education abroad, or can opt to study at Dutch higher education institutions.

International secondary education in Brabant is offered at the International School Eindhoven and the International School

Breda.

Organized activities

Schools in the Netherlands offer few after-school activities. To find music lessons, sports (other than gymnastics and swimming lessons), drama, art, etc, contact a neighborhood club.

Every town and village has its own muziekschool (music school). It is also common to arrange private music teachers for home lessons through your school.

Swimming lessons are common, and children usually learn to swim beginning at the age of five. Baby swimming is also popular. Accredited swimming schools teach courses for national diplomas. At most schools, children 7-8 get an extra year of lessons.

5.3 Colleges and Universities

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. Brabant is home to the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Tilburg University, The Design Academy Eindhoven, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Breda University of Applied Sciences, and Avans University of Applied Sciences. Elsewhere in the Netherlands (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Leiden, Wageningen, Nijmegen, Maastricht, Groningen and Twente) are top universities with specific orientations.

On 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.

The new language policy at Eindhoven University of Technology means that English is the lingua franca, and Dutch the informal language.

The Holland Alumni network aims to facilitate an international network of Holland alumni, future alumni, Holland Alumni associations, Dutch higher education institutions, Dutch embassies and relevant organisations. Join the Brabant community! www.hollandalumni.nl

“Learn Dutch as it will help to integrate and you will feel more part of the community.”

-- Bina Champaneria, United Kingdom

5.4 Language Courses

Nearly all Dutch people speak good English, and if they hear you speak Dutch with a foreign accent, they will probably turn to English immediately! Nevertheless, learning some of the local language is highly recommended. It will help you to settle in, and the locals will appreciate that you have made the effort!

To get official recognition of your Dutch language skills (in order to work for instance) you must follow a course that offers exams within the NT2 (Dutch as a Second Language) structure. This is administered by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Holland Expat Center South organizes Expat Language Lounges where you can speak directly with language school instructors in the region. Check our website for more information!

Other cities also have language cafés in their libraries.

Language Café at the Eindhoven Library

Learning the Dutch language by putting it into practice, that is the idea behind the language café. Do you find it a bit difficult to have a conversation in Dutch? Does the idea of practicing speaking Dutch with others appeal to you? In small groups (of at most five persons and a volunteer) you will discuss all kinds of subjects. A visit to the supermarket, a parent meeting at school, a birthday visit to a neighbor- everything can be a topic of conversation. Sessions take place on Thursday mornings, in the Eindhoven Library in the Witte Dame, from 10:30-12:00. Join us!

EINDHOVEN IS HOME TO MANY HERITAGE LANGUAGE SCHOOLS!

A heritage language school is a program that 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.

Eindhoven is proud to be the home of many heritage language schools! Among the languages on offer (or expected to become on offer) are: Bulgarian, Chinese (Mandarin and Taiwanese), Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Indian languages, Italian, Korean, Polish, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

More information:

www.hlseindhoven.com

“Someone told me to try volunteer work in order to get to know locals. It turned out a very good advice indeed. Not only did I get to know more Dutch people, but I also discovered interesting cultural institutions with which I collaborated.”

-- Anna Crosetti, Italy

5.5 Volunteering

There are a lot of opportunities to volunteer in the Netherlands. Many organizations require volunteers, including the food bank, museums, schools, cultural organizations, sports clubs, and Holland Expat Center South!

Volunteering is a platform to learn the language, interact, and can be very rewarding. It is possible to do volunteer work for one or more days per week, or for a fixed number of hours each month. Whether you wish to do volunteer work on a regular basis or just once, the choice is yours!

For volunteer opportunities in Eindhoven, go to: www.samenvooreindhoven.nl/en