Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.6 The Dutch Context .1 Country Profile
2.6.2 The Education System of the Netherlands
國
立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
2.6.2 The Education System of the Netherlands
A striking feature of the educational system in the Netherlands is that public and private schools both, if quality standards are met, receive equal funding from the government.
This system is a result of the so-called “school dispute” of the nineteenth century (Reulen &
Rosmalen, 2003). This dispute was based around the „freedom of education‟ principle in the Dutch constitution. Catholics and Protestants wanted to establish their own schools but also claimed the right to government funding. This right was finally achieved in 1917 for primary education. Secondary and tertiary education followed soon after. Today, as a result of this, more than two-thirds of all Dutch schools are privately run. While private schools can set admission requirements according to the denominational or ideological character of the school, public schools have to admit all students.
Today the „freedom of education‟ principle is a prominent feature in the Dutch Education Law and it currently refers to the (Reulen & Rosmalen, 2003):
- Freedom of establishment. People are free to establish a school as long as certain regulations are met.
- Freedom of conviction. This is the freedom to offer education based on any religious or political ideology (denomination).
- Freedom of arrangement. This form of freedom stipulates that the school board is able to make their own decisions on the hiring of personnel and the contents of the educational program.
Although most children start attending school at the age of four, compulsory
education does not start until the year a child turns five. Students are then required to attend school until the end of the school year in which they turn sixteen, after which they still need
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
to attend an institution providing educational courses for at least two days a week for another year.
Primary education is free of charge and schools are left free to decide how to arrange the grouping of students. Some schools opt to put different age groups into one class but most schools place students of the same age level in a class. Primary education consists of eight year groups, with four / five year olds starting in group one and group eight students usually finishing primary education at the age of twelve. While the government does not set
requirements regarding class sizes, the average number of students for 2005 was around 22 in primary education (Eurydice, 2009). In secondary education class sizes can vary, depending on the educational track and the socio-demographic characteristics of the student population.
Dutch is the language of instruction the Netherlands. However, Frisian or another living local dialect may be used as the language of instruction at schools in areas where they are spoken alongside Dutch (Eurydice, 2009).
At the secondary education level, the Netherlands has a tracked system. Since the implementation of the Secondary Education Law of 1998, this tracked system has been rearranged into, according to a student‟s educational ability, the following three tracks: Pre-University Education (Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs / VWO), Senior General Secondary Education (Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs / HAVO), and Pre-Vocational Secondary Education (Voorbereidend Middelbaar Beroepsonderwijs / VMBO) (Reulen &
Rosmalen, 2003). Of the total regular education student population, about twenty percent attends VWO, another twenty percent attends HAVO, and a little below sixty percent of the students attends VMBO. The remaining percentage of students attends Practical Training schools (Praktijkonderwijs / PrO). Practical Training schools will be covered in detail throughout this report. The second lowest track, Pre-Vocational Secondary Education, has been separated into four, so-called, „learning pathways‟: a theoretical learning pathway, an
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
advanced vocational learning pathway, a mixed learning pathway (theoretical / vocational), and a basic vocational learning pathway. Each of these pathways represents a different way of learning. For all of these four pathways there is, if needed, Learning Support (LWOO), which offers professional help for students who need pedagogical, orthodidactic, or
orthopedagogical support (Bootsma-Slinkers & de Groot, 1999). “The term orthopedagogics is used in the Dutch speaking countries of Europe…It involves children or adults with a handicap, educators, and environmental situations in a whole. It integrates feelings, thinking and willing through doing” (Judge & Oreshkina, 2004, p. 40). Students for who is determined that they cannot get a qualification at the basic vocational learning pathway while also
receiving Learning Support, are referred to Practical Training (PrO). Practical Training is the mainstream secondary education track servicing students with mild mental impairment.
As at the primary level, there are special schools for students with visual impairments (cluster 1); students with hearing and / or speech impairments (cluster 2); students with mental, physical impairments and / or the chronically ill (cluster 3); and students with behavioural and / or psychiatric problems (cluster 4).
Upon finishing one of the secondary education tracks, students can either, depending on their educational track level, continue their education at a school for Secondary Vocational Education (MBO, 3 years), Undergraduate Education (HBO, 4 years), or Graduate Education (WO, 4 years). Secondary Vocational Education schools offer both secondary education graduates and adults training at an assistant level (1), basic vocational level (2), professional level (3), and middle-management level (4).
Participation in Dutch education in 2006 was 99% for 5 to 14-year olds, 86% for 15 to 19-year olds, and 26% for 20 to 29-year olds (Thijs et al., 2009).
The government‟s main responsibilities, concerning education, are the structuring and
‧
國立 政 治 大 學
‧
N a tio na
l C h engchi U ni ve rs it y
and student support (Eurydice, 2009). These are all tasks for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The local authority of the schools is in the hands of the municipal government. Among its prime responsibilities is the drawing up of annual plans for and funding necessary changes in accommodation for primary and secondary schools.
In 2009, the Dutch government spent 5.1% of GDP on education (Ministerie van Onderwijs Cultuur en Wetenschappen, 2010a). Of this total budget, 31.8% was spent on all of secondary education.
The Netherlands is well-known for its liberal culture which in education is translated into the principle of „freedom of education‟, mentioned earlier. In the 1960s, the social structure was radically transformed with a consequent emancipation of women and youth.
Since then, Dutch society has been going through a process of individualization. The interests of the individual are of more importance than that of the group to which he / she belongs (Reulen & Rosmalen, 2003). Progressive forces in Dutch society have not totally been able to influence the, from the outset, conservative educational system. In practice there is often still a teacher-centred approach in the classroom although an individualized approach, with the student at the centre, has been envisioned.
The multi-ethnic society of the Netherlands also demands special attention in the education system. The percentage of ethnic minorities continues to increase and this population of students is especially prominent in Practical Training (Reulen & Rosmalen, 2003).
Data on literacy rates in the Netherlands, as in other advanced countries, is not collected anymore (UNESCO, 2008).
An overview of the Dutch education system can be found in Appendix B.
‧
國立 政 治 大 學