Boarding schools in the Netherlands
The best boarding schools in the Netherlands, boarding schools for foreign children and teenagers offer quality education and prepare you for elite universities, well-equipped campuses, safe accommodation and opportunities to develop academic and sports, creativity, leadership potential. Free, tolerant and highly developed, the Netherlands has a world-leading export economy based on the work of international companies. The country’s government has actively contributed to the creation of a strong international school sector to encourage diversity in education and promote the adaptation of children from expatriate families.
The Netherlands offers a wide range of schools offering British, American, French, German, Japanese, Indonesian, IBO curriculum, Montessori education. Private and public educational institutions in the Netherlands mainly offer day education, but there are also boarding schools for foreigners with full board – International School Eerde, Full Force Sports Academy.
School system in the Netherlands
- Elementary school (basic school)
- Primary education in the Netherlands consists of 8 grades (from 5 to 12 years).
Although the law requires that education starts at Basisschool at the age of 5, some parents transfer their children a year earlier.
Compared to our 6-7 year old first graders, the 4-5 year olds seem too young. In fact, the first two classes in such a “school” are the same as our older kindergarten classes. During these years, “schoolchildren” spend most of their time playing, listening to stories and drawing.
Full learning of reading, writing, and arithmetic begins in third grade, from ages 6-8. So, in fact, at the same age in our school.
The later subject sets are closer to ours, but the academic load is many times less. Children don’t really get homework until they are 10 years old. Moreover, the purpose of most lessons is not to memorize facts, but to understand them accurately. By the way, English is only taught in this country from the 7th grade onwards.
At the age of 12, Dutch elementary school students have a “judgment day” – the Citotoets exam. It is taken at the end of elementary school, and the child’s future depends on its results. After all, now he has to decide which type of secondary school he has to go to: VMBO, HAVO or VWO.
VMBO High School
This is the name of preparatory vocational secondary education in the Netherlands. It lasts for four years, during which schoolchildren not only study general education subjects, but also receive eduaction in specific work specialties and internships in companies.
VMBO is divided into 5 profiles according to the chosen profession. Studying at the Theoretische Leerweg and the Kaderberoepsgerichte Leerweg provides additional theoretical knowledge and the opportunity to continue studying at the HAVO or VWO after obtaining the VMBO diploma. The Gemengde Leerweg sub-profile falls somewhere in between, while the Basisberoepsgerichte Leerweg and Praktijkonderwijs skilled workers who can start labor activities after receiving their diploma.
The existence of VMBO allows schoolchildren who want to work, on the one hand, to stop sitting at their desks and start earning money and gaining some independence at the age of 16. This is especially important for children from troubled families who want to become independent as soon as possible.
On the other hand, not everyone can decide on a career at the age of 16. An interesting point: In the Netherlands, more than 15% of serious alcohol can only be consumed from the age of 18, and decisions about careers usually have to be made at the age of 16. This is justice in the Netherlands.
Importantly, the state leaves a loophole for those who work for a few years and then realize that they want more and are ready to study further to achieve this goal. Especially for them there are additional professional education institutions MBO. their courses are designed for 4 years, after which the graduate will have the right to enter a university of applied sciences, if he can, of course. After all, in addition to knowledge, there is a need to have the funds for study.
General secondary education HAVO
Calculated in 5 years. You can transfer after VMBO and complete another year of schooling.
The HAVO diploma allows you to obtain a higher professional education.
The program consists of 2 stages. In the first stage (3 years), all schoolchildren have an identical general course.
In the second phase, it is necessary to identify the profiles that will further influence the student’s career. They are Cultuur en Maatschappij (art and language studies), Economie en Maatschappij (specializing in social sciences, history and economics), Natuur en Gezondheid (treating natural sciences and preparing for studying medicine at university), Natuur en Techniek ( specializing in natural sciences).
Secondary pre-university education VWO
Designed for the “chosen ones”, those who are preparing for university. This part of the Dutch secondary school program is one year longer than HAVO and two years longer than VMBO. There is also the opportunity to transfer here with a HAVO diploma and complete another year of study.
What does VWO teach? The first 2 years are general education courses in 15 general education disciplines, and the second 4 years are in highly specialized disciplines. An interesting feature is the preparation time provided for students.
Upon completion, graduates have the opportunity to enter a university. It is interesting to note that despite these features, Dutch students graduate from high school at the age of 18. So this education system regarding age limits is very close to ours. At the same time, many immigrants notice a more comfortable relationship between teachers and students.
Advantages of the Dutch education system
Primary education is characterized by a learning process built in a fun way, where children learn to work in teams and communicate with each other. Through play and interesting experiments they learn about the world around them. The teacher’s task is to determine each child’s abilities and inclinations in order to help him choose the appropriate continuing education profile.
After graduating from elementary school and passing the necessary exams, the child continues his education in one of the 3 options, depending on his grades and the teacher’s recommendations. The duration of studies at this level is from 4 to 6 years. The easiest (preparatory) course is a blend of basic school knowledge and professional skills. The 5-year general program is designed to prepare students for higher education. The most difficult level of high school is the preparation for university entrance. At this level, children study several languages, including Latin and Greek, economics, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, and other subjects.
Dutch universities use a progressive approach to education. They focus more on practice than on theory. Students complete many independent tasks. They develop the ability to work in teams, develop tasks independently and find the necessary answers to apply what they have learned in practice. The most common forms of eduaction are seminars and group projects under the guidance of teachers.
The country has adopted a law that sets out specially developed criteria that all university courses must meet. The focus is on the main specialties, in which students will prepare their graduation designs. Much less time is allocated to general subjects.
The higher education system is represented by universities, higher education schools and international universities. Dutch universities are actively involved in research activities. The most famous one is the University of Leiden, which was founded in the 16th century. It offers education to applicants in various fields. One of the most popular faculties of this educational institution is: the Faculty of Archaeology, Medicine and Humanism with a very strong curriculum. In addition, in the Netherlands there are 8 classical universities, 2 with a technical bias, 1 agricultural and 2 open types that offer the opportunity to study in absentia. The higher schools mainly educate students to become doctors, engineers and economists. Doctor is one of the most popular professions in the country. Most foreigners study in international institutions, graduated from universities in their home countries and have work experience in their field of specialization. These colleges offer courses of study in English. Priority areas: science and technology, economic and social sciences, agriculture, environment and infrastructure, management. The duration of education is 1-2 years.
The Netherlands also has a good system of postgraduate education. This includes many courses and programs to improve the skills of specialists in various fields.
Cost of education
The costs depend on the specific educational institution. Thus, depending on the standard program, the weekly education cost for a language course may be 700 euros. This depends entirely on the duration and intensity of the program. When receiving secondary education, it is important whether the school is public or private and whether the student lives in a boarding apartment or with a host family/with
