Primary and Secondary Schools in Netherlands

Dutch primary and secondary schools are mostly for children who live in the Netherlands, including families who move there from abroad. Education is compulsory from the age of 5, and young people must stay in school until they have a diploma or turn 18. Teaching is in Dutch, although a growing number of schools also teach in English.

Both public and private schools exist at every level. According to Nuffic, the Dutch organisation for internationalisation in education, private schools are mostly based on religious or ideological principles.

How the school system works

Children may start primary school (basisonderwijs) at 4, and most attend it for eight years, until about 12. Towards the end of primary school, pupils receive a school recommendation (schooladvies) and take a transition test (doorstroomtoets), which help decide the type of secondary school they go on to. Since August 2014 schools have had a duty to offer every pupil an appropriate place, including pupils who need extra support.

At about 12, pupils move on to one of three types of secondary education:

• VMBO (pre-vocational secondary education), 4 years, which leads to vocational education (MBO)
• HAVO (senior general secondary education), 5 years, the minimum entry diploma for universities of applied sciences
• VWO (pre-university education), 6 years, which gives access to bachelor's programmes at research universities

The lower years follow a broad curriculum. In the upper years of HAVO and VWO, pupils choose one of four subject combinations (profielen). At the end, they take national school-leaving exams.

CSG Bogerman in Sneek, in south-west Friesland (Zuid-West Fryslân), is an example of a combined secondary school that offers all three tracks, VMBO, HAVO and VWO, including a Technasium, where pupils work on research and design assignments from companies and institutions, and a Gymnasium stream within VWO. It has sites in Sneek, Balk and Koudum and accepts pupils who join in the second year or later. Its VWO pupils choose from year three between the four profiles: Culture and Society, Economics and Society, Nature and Health, and Nature and Technology. From 1 January 2027 the school will be part of a new school board, Ferbyn Onderwijs, while keeping its own name, identity and programmes.

Costs

Secondary education is free: according to the Dutch government, parents do not pay fees for their children's secondary schooling, and schools provide most textbooks. Each secondary pupil costs the government about €7,300 a year. Parents do pay for items such as gym clothes, atlases, dictionaries and calculators, and schools may ask for a voluntary contribution towards school camps, excursions and cultural activities.

Options for international families

Children who do not speak Dutch have several routes. Very young children usually learn Dutch quickly in a regular school. Bilingual primary schools teach in English for 30% to 50% of the day, and at bilingual secondary schools at least half of the subjects are taught in English. These schools still follow the Dutch curriculum and end with the Dutch school-leaving exams, so Nuffic warns that they may not suit older children who speak no Dutch at all; some offer special programmes for non-Dutch speakers. International schools that teach a completely English curriculum are the other option. The government also runs a dedicated information page on education for newcomers.

How to choose a school

• Track: VMBO, HAVO or VWO, based on the school recommendation
• Language: Dutch, bilingual or an international school
• Profile: public or private, and religious or ideological basis
• Programmes such as Technasium or Gymnasium, sport or music
• Location and travel time; the government's school finder (scholenopdekaart.nl) compares schools in an area

Frequently asked questions

At what age do children start school in the Netherlands?

Children may start primary school at 4, and education is compulsory from the age of 5.

Is secondary school free in the Netherlands?

Yes. Parents do not pay fees, and schools provide most textbooks; parents pay for some items and may be asked for a voluntary contribution.

What is the difference between VMBO, HAVO and VWO?

VMBO (4 years) prepares for vocational education, HAVO (5 years) for universities of applied sciences, and VWO (6 years) for research universities.

Can my child attend school in English in the Netherlands?

Partly at bilingual schools, where at least half of the secondary subjects are taught in English, or fully at international schools with an English curriculum.