Compulsory education under Dutch law applies to children of all nationalities from five to eighteen years who are residing in the Netherlands.

Expatriate parents are often faced with the dilemma of which school to choose for their child.

International schools are designed to ease the educational transition of a move from one country to another and are a good choice for the children of foreign parents who are staying temporarily in the Netherlands.

In the Netherlands, the majority of international schools are partly subsidised by the Dutch Ministry of Education and are thus bound by ministry rules, while others are privately operated.

The so-called Dutch International Schools are subsidised schools, spread throughout The Netherlands. They are part of the Dutch International Primary Schools (DIPS) or the Dutch International Secondary Schools (DISS), which are government-funded organisations designed to assist in the transition of English-educated Dutch nationals repatriating to the Netherlands and in the continuation of the international education of expatriate children arriving in the country.

The subsidy provided by the Dutch Ministry of Education makes it possible for these schools to offer English language education to the global standard of international schools for a reasonable fee.

The qualifications for entry to these schools are set by the Dutch Ministry of Education.
Students may be admitted who originate from:

• A non-Dutch family staying in the Netherlands for a limited period of time with an expatriate status.
• An internationally mobile Dutch family, whose children have been largely educated abroad, and for whom an international education will be more advisable to ensure continuity.
• A Dutch family bound for an international assignment, whose children will be switching from education in Dutch to English. This transition is limited to a period of one year.

In general, private international schools only have English language education, but check with the school to make certain. Schools that are privately operated will be more expensive than the Dutch International Schools, but they are not subject to the inspectorate’s quality control checks. However, all international schools are linked to various organisations for their curricula and examinations.
Parents should also consult a tax consultant regarding tax exemptions and implications of school fees. Employers may also compensate parents for school costs.

Primary education

Primary education starts at the age of 4 and continues up until the age of 11 or 12.
Dutch International Primary Schools use the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), or the British system.

Private schools, such as the American School and the British School, use their national curricula.

Secondary education

During the first four to five years of secondary education, the Dutch International Secondary Schools prepare their students for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP) or the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

The IGCSE is the globally recognised equivalent+ of the British GCSE and the Dutch HAVO.

Students who have successfully completed the IBMYP or the IGCSE can be admitted to the two-year International Baccalaureate programme (IB).

The IB diploma is widely recognised as providing a well-balanced pre-university education. It is an accepted entrance qualification for top universities around the world.

Private schools may have different curricula for both junior and senior secondary school. You can check the websites listed at the end of this page.

Secondary Level Vocational Schools

If a student has successfully completed the IGCSE or IB-MYP but is not admitted to the IB-Diploma programme, then MBO (3-4 years) might be a good option.

In The Netherlands students can follow several English language programmes.

Tertiary Vocational Schools (Hogeschool, HBO, or "Professional Universities")

Higher education

Higher or tertiary education is offered at two different levels: vocational and academic.

After having obtained the IB Diploma (and in some cases the IGCSE Diploma) students can enrol in the so-called ’professional universities‘ (HBO, or Hogeschool), which provide third level vocational education. The HBO schools include institutions that offer general education as well as institutions specialising in one of the seven HBO sectors: agriculture, engineering and technology, economics and business administration, healthcare, fine and performing arts, education/teacher training, and social welfare.

Throughout the country many ‘ hogescholen‘ or ’professional universities‘ offer programmes in English.

Academic education or third level degree education (university) is offered in Maastricht, Eindhoven, Tilburg, Nijmegen, Wageningen, Enschede, Groningen, Utrecht, Amsterdam (UvA, VU), Leiden, Delft, Rotterdam, and Middelburg.

Academia Vitae in Deventer provides a Freshman Year for Highschool graduates who wish to broaden their horizons and as such can postpone their choice of what to study and where. For more information visit www.academiavitae.nl

Universities

Tertiary education includes higher vocational (HBO) and academic or university education (WO).

Degree programmes in HBO institutes last four years and a large part of the programme involves a work placement. Students are required to write a major paper or complete a major project to obtain a bachelor’s degree.

WO university programmes are organised around a bachelor’s or undergraduate phase lasting three years and a masters or graduate phase lasting one to two years. As many Dutch universities have partner institutions in other EU countries, students can study part of their course abroad.

Foreign students

Foreign university students can enter a Dutch university degree course at an intermediate level, but only if the Dutch institution recognises the student’s ability and allows this. Only a few Dutch institutions offer this possibility and it is up to them to decide. Foreign students wishing to enter a Dutch university must have an adequate level of English and they must pass a standard test (TOEFL) or one arranged by the Dutch university.

A secondary school diploma is required for entering a bachelor’s degree programme. For a master’s degree programme, an undergraduate diploma or bachelor’s degree in a relevant field is normally required. Admission to a PhD programme requires a good master’s degree.

At all entry levels the foreign diplomas need to be accredited by the Dutch authorities. You should first contact the institute at which you are going to study. They will arrange for your diploma to be evaluated.

Ask the institute if there are any costs related to the evaluation. Mostly, if diplomas are evaluated at the request of one of the regularly subsidized educational institutions, there is no charge. But if the request comes from a private organization or individual, a fee will be charged.

You can check the tuition and registration fees at the websites of the relevant educational institutions. Many institutions have policies especially beneficial to foreign students.

Please note that foreign students must have about EUR 5,500 available in order to obtain permission for a visa should they require one.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, or confused, you can contact NUFFIC (Netherlands Organisation for International Cooperation in Higher Education) in The Hague (www.studyin.nl), the IB-Groep in Groningen (www.ib-groep.nl), for information on Master’s programmes: www.mastersportal.eu/ or Educaide, the professional Helpdesk for International and Bilingual Education in the Netherlands at:

Educaide
PO Box 969 11, NL-2509 JH The Hague
Tel.: +31 (06)5 598 8998
Fax: +31 (0)70 326 2252
E-mail:  info-educaide@xs4all.nl
Contact: Willemijn van Oppen

Educaide advises parents, students, teachers, schools, and authorities in a wide range of issues pertaining to International and Bilingual Education in the Netherlands.

Updated 24 September 2007

[Copyright Educaide 2008]

Subject: International schools + the Netherlands