Education and parenting: school system and rules
Understand compulsory education, the school system and what is expected of parents.
A2 and B111 minLesson 9 of 9
After this lesson you can
- Explain leerplicht and kwalificatieplicht
- Describe the route from basisschool to vmbo/havo/vwo and mbo/hbo/wo
- Know how schooladvies and kinderopvang work
- Know the parents' role and children's rights, including no physical punishment
Compulsory education
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Leerplicht | Children must go to school from 5 (in practice from the first school day of the month after their 5th birthday) until the end of the school year in which they turn 16 |
| Kwalificatieplicht | After that, young people must keep learning until 18, unless they already have a startkwalificatie: a havo, vwo or mbo level 2 (or higher) diploma |
| Starting age | Almost all children start primary school at 4, although it is not yet compulsory |
| Holidays | You may only take your child out of school during school holidays. Extra days off need permission from the head teacher, only in special cases |
| Control | The leerplichtambtenaar of the gemeente checks absences. Parents can be fined for unauthorised absence |
Public and special (e.g. religious) schools are both funded by the government: this is the freedom of education in the Grondwet. Primary and secondary school are in principle free; schools may ask a vrijwillige ouderbijdrage (voluntary parental contribution). It is truly voluntary: a child may not be excluded from trips or activities because parents do not pay.
Primary school (basisschool)
- Groep 1 to groep 8, roughly from age 4 to 12. Groep 1 and 2 are like kindergarten, with a lot of play.
- In groep 8, the school gives a schooladvies (advice) for secondary school, based on the child's results and development over the years. Pupils also take a national doorstroomtoets. If the test result is higher than the advice, the school must reconsider and may raise the advice; it never lowers it because of the test. The exact dates are set nationally; the school informs parents.
- Children with extra needs can get support, or go to speciaal onderwijs (special education).
Secondary school (voortgezet onderwijs)
| Type | Length | Prepares for |
|---|---|---|
| vmbo | 4 years | mbo (practical vocational training) |
| havo | 5 years | hbo (universities of applied sciences) |
| vwo (incl. gymnasium) | 6 years | wo (university) |
Switching levels is possible, and many students take a longer route (e.g. vmbo → mbo → hbo).
After secondary school
- mbo (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs): vocational training at levels 1 to 4, often with internships (stage).
- hbo (hoger beroepsonderwijs) at a hogeschool: practical higher education, bachelor degrees.
- wo (wetenschappelijk onderwijs) at a universiteit: academic bachelor and master.
Students from 18 may apply for studiefinanciering at DUO.
Childcare (kinderopvang)
| Type | Age |
|---|---|
| Dagopvang / kinderdagverblijf | 0 to 4 |
| Buitenschoolse opvang (bso) | 4 to 12, before and after school |
| Gastouder | A registered childminder at home |
| Peuteropvang | Some mornings a week from about 2, often with extra language support |
Working parents may get kinderopvangtoeslag from the Belastingdienst, if the childcare is registered. The government plans to change how childcare is funded in the coming years, so check the current rules.
Parents and school
Dutch schools expect parents to be involved:
- read the school's messages and the app or newsletter;
- go to the ouderavond and the tien-minutengesprek (short meeting with the teacher about your child);
- talk to the leerkracht (teacher, called juf or meester) first if there is a problem, then the head teacher (directeur);
- report your child sick to the school in the morning.
Parents can join the ouderraad or medezeggenschapsraad (participation council).
Children's rights and parenting
- Parents must raise their children without violence. Hitting, also a "small tap" as punishment, is forbidden by law since 2007. So is psychological abuse.
- Children have the right to education, care, safety and their own opinion. Girls and boys get the same chances.
- For questions about raising children: the CJG (Centrum voor Jeugd en Gezin) or the youth team of the gemeente. Worries about a child's safety: Veilig Thuis.
Exam logic
Child of school age → must go to school; holiday only in school holidays. Problem at school → talk to the teacher first. No hitting. Advice for secondary school comes from the primary school in groep 8.
Useful Dutch
- de leerplichtcompulsory schooling
- de kwalificatieplichtobligation to learn until 18 or a basic diploma
- de leerplichtambtenaarthe school attendance officer
- de basisschoolprimary school
- de groepschool year (class) in primary school
- het schooladviesthe school's advice for secondary education
- de leerkracht / de juf / de meesterthe teacher
- de ouderavondthe parents' evening
- de vrijwillige ouderbijdragevoluntary parental contribution
- de kinderopvangchildcare
- opvoedento raise (children)
- slaanto hit
Worked example
A holiday during school time
Who? Parents of a child aged 8. Which rule? The child is leerplichtig (5 to 16). Holidays are only allowed during the official school holidays. Cheaper tickets are not a valid reason. Extra leave is only possible in special cases (for example some family events or certain jobs) and only with permission from the school head, not just the teacher. So C is correct. A and B are wrong: parents cannot decide this alone, and telling the teacher is not the same as having permission. The leerplichtambtenaar can fine parents for unauthorised absence.
Common mistakes
- Thinking school is only compulsory from 6 or until 12; leerplicht runs from 5 to 16, then kwalificatieplicht to 18.
- Taking children on holiday outside the school holidays without permission from the head teacher.
- Believing a light slap as punishment is allowed; all physical punishment is forbidden.
- Thinking the ouderbijdrage is compulsory; it is voluntary.
Check yourself
Answer all three to mark this lesson as done.
1. Yusuf is 16 jaar. Hij heeft zijn vmbo-diploma. Hij wil stoppen met leren en gaan werken. Wat is waar?
2. De zoon van Rosa zit in groep 8. Rosa wil weten naar welk type middelbare school hij kan gaan. Wie geeft het schooladvies?
3. Pedro is boos op zijn dochter. Hij wil haar een tik geven als straf. Wat is waar in Nederland?