Education in the Netherlands
Articles on the Dutch education system, choosing a school, learning support after a move and studying in Amsterdam.
12 articles
- How Do Dutch and Japanese Education Differ? Beyond Which Is BetterJapan and the Netherlands differ in how they align curricula, build school choice, divide pathways and what their achievement data show. Here is a way to compare by separating what is measured and what you value, not by asking which is better.
- What Japanese Families Can Take from Dutch EducationWhat is easiest to borrow from the Netherlands is not a particular method but a way of thinking: how to observe a child's learning, choose, and review. Here are five ideas to try at home for two weeks.
- Dutch Schools vs International Schools: How Learning Support ChangesDutch mainstream schools, Dutch International Schools and private international schools are not the same thing. Separate the school types first, then think about the learning support you need at home to fit the real language and curriculum.
- Learning in Amsterdam: Asking Better Questions and Studying IndependentlyPreparing for university abroad takes more than an English score. Starting from the official descriptions of UvA and VU Amsterdam, we set out how secondary students can practise forming questions, finding evidence, explaining and planning.
- Continuing Eiken While Living in the Netherlands: Test Venues and Online StudyLiving in the Netherlands, you can keep studying for Eiken online, but choosing a test venue is not like choosing one in Japan. The official overseas venues, the Eiken S-CBT venues, and an 8-week study plan counted back from the test date.
- 8 Things to Check Before Looking for a Tutor in AmsterdamLiving nearby and speaking English are not enough to tell whether a tutor suits your child. Separate the school's support from what you want to add at home, and sort out 8 items before you enquire.
- Online or In-Person Tutoring in the Netherlands: Which Suits Your Child?There is no simple conclusion that online or in-person is always better. Compare six things: goal, materials, focus, travel, frequency and teacher quality, and check with a two-week trial.
- What Japanese Children Often Find Hard First After Moving to a Dutch SchoolRight after changing schools abroad, language, subjects, task formats and learning for Japan all change at once. Rather than assuming an ability problem, here are 30 days of observation points for seeing where your child is stuck.
- Can Child Well-Being and Academic Results Go Together? Dutch EvidenceThe Netherlands is rated highly for well-being, yet PISA reading scores keep falling and many students feel burdened by school. We look at how to read well-being and achievement separately, and five things to check at home.
- Is Dutch Education Really the Best in the World? Strengths and ChallengesThe Netherlands is rated highly for child well-being, yet PISA shows reading scores continuing to fall. Before calling any system the best in the world, we separate out which measure shows what.
- A Learning Support Checklist for Families Moving to the NetherlandsAfter moving to the Netherlands, there is suddenly more to check: school procedures, language, subjects and learning for Japan. Six items to sort out before looking for a tutor, and a 12-item checklist to write down before an enquiry.
- Beyond Jenaplan: Understanding School Choice in the NetherlandsIn Japan, Dutch education often means Jenaplan, but the Netherlands has a system in which schools with many different educational philosophies exist side by side. We set out how public-authority and private schools differ and what to check when choosing.