Mode of Education

Since the foundation of Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, the government has been responsible for ensuring that all Dutch children receive a decent education. Not that is has a monopoly of schools or the right to dictate what is taught in them. Under the 1814 Constitution, any group of people may set up a school based on religious or philosophical beliefs or educational principles.

The government is definitely responsible for supervising the educational system. It is compulsory for children in the Netherlands to attend school full-time from five years old and to attend school part time between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. The subjects taught in all types of school are laid down by law as an attainment target. This enables the government to ensure that qualifications are uniform throughout the country.

Schools set up by public authorities are called public authority schools. All other schools that are founded by private bodies are called private schools. More than three quarters of schools in Netherlands are private, they are still eligible for government funding so long as they meet a criteria.

In 2001, the Netherlands spent 5.3% of its Gross domestic product on education. Education is free of charge for children up to sixteen years old. But the parents of secondary school pupils have to pay for textbooks and other materials.

In the Netherlands, few Dutch schools, colleges or universities provide accommodation for their students, and there are no dress codes of school uniforms.

Primary education: Primary school in Netherlands caters for children aged four to twelve. It has an eight year education system and curriculum that focuses on pupil's emotional, intellectual and creative development along with the acquisition of essential social, cultural and physical skills. Every primary school draws up its own school work plan on the basis of conditions specified by a government.

Secondary education: Children from the age of twelve are eligible for admission for secondary education. There are three types of educations available in their secondary school system. First, the Pre-vocational secondary school education (VMBO); Senior general secondary education (HAVO) ; and pre university education (VWO)

VMBO takes 4 years and leads on to secondary vocational education (MBO).

HAVO is a 5 year course and leads on to higher professional education (HBO).

VWO takes 6 years and leads to university (WO).

The pupils in the first two to three years of secondary school are all taught the same core curriculum, consisting of 15 subjects.

Higher education comprises higher professional (HBO) as well as the university education (WO) which is a bachelor master degree structure. The HBO will take four more years while the WO will take three more years. Graduates with a bachelor degree can then take a Master's degree and the Master's courses usually take between one and two years depending on nature of study.

Many people pursue higher education. Nearly 3.5 million of the total population of 16 million have attended some form of higher-education programme. Of the younger generation, one out of three school-graduates completes a university degree.

The Netherlands has nine general universities, three technological universities and one agricultural university.
Books used:
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International information and Communication Division, The Hague (2004) 
Focus on the Netherlands