4. Opvoeding en onderwijs — children, parenting and education

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Topic map: birth and early care → parental responsibility and support → childcare → school system → rights and duties → adult education → costs and benefits.

What you should be able to do in the exam

You should know where to obtain help during pregnancy and after birth, how childcare and schools are organised, when education is compulsory, how vmbo, havo and vwo differ, how a foreign diploma can be evaluated and which costs or forms of support are connected with education.

1. Pregnancy, childbirth and the early years

Professionals around childbirth

Parents should obtain baby supplies before the birth and ask the insurer about any co-payment for the birth or maternity care.

Consultatiebureau

This is a free child-health service for children roughly from birth to age four, normally connected with the GGD. It:

• measures height and weight;
• checks eyesight, hearing and general health;
• monitors speech, sleep, eating, play and development;
• advises parents;
• provides vaccinations.

2. Parental responsibility and family support

Parents are responsible for a child's safety, care and school attendance. If a child must attend school and the parents keep the child at home without a valid reason, a fine is possible. In the book's exam framework, parents are also financially liable for damage caused by a child up to age 16.

When parenting is difficult

• For a child under four, begin with the consultatiebureau.
• For a schoolchild, speak with the teacher or school.
• At any age, the GP can be consulted.
• For continuing problems, the municipality may arrange youth care or other support.

When a child is unsafe

• Neither parents nor teachers may hit a child.
• Female genital mutilation is prohibited and is treated as abuse.
• In a serious danger situation, the Child Protection Board may become involved; a judge decides on removing a child from the home.
• If you are worried about your own or another child, call Veilig Thuis for advice.

3. Childcare before and after school

Peuteropvang is not only for children of working parents. The voorschool aims to reduce delay before primary school.

4. The school system

Primary school

• Normally from age four to about twelve.
• Eight groups: groep 1–8.
• In groups 1–2, children learn extensively through play.
• From group 3, Dutch language and arithmetic become especially important.
• Parents choose and register for a school, but a place is not guaranteed.

Secondary education

At around age twelve, a child moves to secondary school. The primary-school teacher gives an advice concerning level; parents do not choose the level completely by themselves. The first period is the brugklas, where movement between levels may still be possible.

Mbo, hbo and wo

• mbo — secondary vocational education, levels 1–4.
• hbo — higher professional education at a university of applied sciences.
• wo — academic education at a research university.

Simplified routes:

primary school → vmbo → mbo → hbo → sometimes wo

primary school → havo → hbo → sometimes wo

primary school → vwo → wo

Doorstromen means progressing to a next or higher level after meeting the conditions.

Newcomers and special support

• Newly arrived children aged 4–12 with limited Dutch may attend a schakelklas.
• Young people from age 12 may attend an ISK, an international transition class.
• With a learning problem, behavioural problem, disability or disorder, a mainstream school may first provide extra support; sometimes a special school is more suitable.

5. Rights and duties in education

Freedom of education

Parents may choose a type of school if there is space:

• openbare school — open to everyone and not based on a religion;
• Christian or Islamic school;
• a school using a particular educational approach, such as Jenaplan.

Compulsory education and qualification duty

• Almost all children begin school at age four.
• Attendance becomes compulsory at age five.
• Basic compulsory education normally lasts until age 16, and the school year already started must be completed.
• A 16- or 17-year-old without a sufficient basic qualification remains kwalificatieplichtig. A vmbo diploma alone is not enough; the young person normally continues until havo, vwo or at least mbo level 2.
• Extra holidays outside school holidays are normally not allowed. A sick child must be reported to school in the morning.

School duties

Schools are inspected for quality and must teach required topics, including Dutch society, citizenship and sexual development. Children learn about equality and the acceptance of homosexuality.

Parent-school contact

• parents' evening;
• a ten-minute conversation with the teacher;
• report card and test results;
• visiting the class;
• voluntary help on a school trip or at a celebration.

Contact matters because school and parents exchange information about the child.

6. Adult education and foreign diplomas

Credential evaluation

A foreign diploma may correspond to a different level in the Netherlands. IDW evaluates it and indicates the Dutch equivalent. For some civic-integration participants and nationality applicants, the evaluation may be free.

Continuing education

• Adults can take vocational training or a shorter course.
• An employer may provide continuing professional education for new methods or job requirements.
• Admission requirements are checked with the individual institution; diploma and Dutch-language level both matter.

The book uses the following orientation:

• B1 is often sufficient for mbo levels 1–3;
• B2 is needed for Dutch-language mbo 4, hbo and wo;
• work in childcare generally requires a high level, commonly B2.

This is an exam-oriented scheme; an individual programme may set additional requirements.

7. Costs and financial support

Free or voluntary items

• Primary and secondary education are publicly funded and do not charge ordinary tuition for a child.
• Books are provided; there may be optional costs for a laptop, sports clothing or trips.
• The ouderbijdrage for celebrations and school trips is voluntary. A child may not be excluded solely because the family did not pay it.

Costs normally paid by parents

• day care, childminder and BSO;
• sometimes lunchtime supervision;
• transport;
• certain materials;
• private school.

People aged 18 or over pay tuition or college fees for mbo, hbo or wo.

Child benefit and childcare allowance

If money is insufficient

• Discuss costs with the school.
• Ask the municipality or Stichting Leergeld for help, for example with a bicycle or laptop.
• DUO may provide student finance, a loan or other support under its conditions.
• UAF supports some refugees with education, advice and sometimes funding.
• Payment for a civic-integration course depends on the applicable law, status and personal situation.

Age anchors

Commonly confused ideas

Common exam traps

• The consultatiebureau is free and intended for ages 0–4.
• A child may not be hit; Veilig Thuis can advise when safety is a concern.
• Children normally start school at four, but compulsory attendance starts at five.
• The primary school recommends the secondary level; parents choose a suitable school, not any level they wish.
• Vmbo primarily leads to mbo, havo to hbo and vwo to wo.
• The parental contribution is voluntary.
• Child benefit and childcare allowance are different payments from different organisations.

Active recall

1. How does a midwife differ from a gynaecologist?
2. What does a maternity nurse do?
3. Which ages use the consultatiebureau?
4. Whom can you contact if you fear for a child's safety?
5. How does day care differ from BSO?
6. What are the usual routes after vmbo, havo and vwo?
7. Who gives the secondary-school level advice?
8. What is an ISK?
9. When does compulsory education begin?
10. What is the qualification duty?
11. Is the parental contribution compulsory?
12. Who pays child benefit and who pays childcare allowance?
13. Where can a foreign diploma be evaluated?
14. Which language level does the book associate with Dutch-language hbo and wo?

Based on chapter 4 of the book, printed pages 81–102.