1.    primary education for children aged from 4 to 12 years

2.    secondary education for pupils aged between 12 and 18 years. This is divided into:

 

- pre-vocational education (VBO)  12 - 16 years  

- junior general secondary education (MAVO), 12 - 16 years

 

(VMBO is a new type of secondary education introduced in the 1999/2000 school year to replace VBO and MAVO)

 

- senior general secondary education (HAVO), 12 - 17 years

- pre-university education (VWO), 12 - 18 years

 

Most secondary schools are combined schools offering several types of secondary education so that pupils can transfer easily from one type to another. All three types of secondary education start with a period of basic secondary education (basisvorming) during which all pupils study the same broad range of subjects, whichever type of school they are at. This period varies in length from one type of school to another, but lasts at least two years and usually three.

One of the key features of the Dutch education system, guaranteed under article 23 of the Constitution, is freedom of education, i.e. the freedom to found schools, to organise the teaching in schools and to determine the principles on which they are based (freedom of conviction). This means that people living in the Netherlands have the right to found schools on the basis of their own religious, ideological or educational beliefs and to have them funded by government. The result of this constitutional right is that schools in the Netherlands differ from each other in terms of their denomination or ideological outlook.

 

Parents and children in the Netherlands can choose from a range of both publicly run and privately run schools. Publicly run schools are run by the municipal authorities or by a governing committee appointed by the municipality for this purpose. They are open to all children regardless of religion or outlook. Some publicly run schools are based on specific educational principles. Montessori schools are one example.

 

Around 65% of all schoolchildren in the Netherlands attend privately run schools. These are run by an association or foundation. Most of them are either Roman Catholic or Protestant, but there are also Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Humanist schools in the Netherlands. In addition, there are private non-denominational schools which are run by an association or foundation but are not based on any specific religious or ideological beliefs. Like some of the publicly run schools, many privately run schools base their teaching on specific educational principles, like those of Maria Montessori. Unlike publicly run schools, which must admit all pupils, private schools can impose criteria for admission. In practice, however, most private schools pursue non-restrictive admissions policies.

 

There are no government rules about dress in Dutch schools. In exceptional circumstances, such as where there is no school available within a reasonable distance from home, parents may be entitled to assistance with the costs of travel to and from school. Boys and girls are educated in the same way.

The freedom to organise teaching means that schools are free to determine what is taught and how. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science does, however, impose a number of statutory standards in relation to the quality of education. These prescribe the subjects to be studied, the attainment targets and the content of national examinations. There are also rules about the number of teaching periods per year, teacher training and teaching

qualifications, the rights of parents and pupils to have a say in school matters, and the planning and reporting obligations of schools. As a rule, schools enjoy considerable freedom in the choice of textbooks and materials and in the way they manage their affairs. The Education Inspectorate is charged by the Minister of Education with supervising the manner in which schools fulfil their responsibilities.