Is the Dutch Secondary Education System Working?
School

Is the Dutch Secondary Education System Working?

Turning_Dutch

The Dutch secondary education system streamlines children into three levels from day one based on their academic ability. When my eldest started secondary school, I was a fan of this system. As he approaches the end of his school ‘career’, I have seen enough to have some serious doubts. There are many reasons to be concerned about the state of the Dutch secondary education system.

The Dutch Secondary Education System

For those of you new to the the Dutch secondary education system, it is not the simplest system. There are abbreviations for everything and different levels of schooling, depending on the final advice from a child’s primary school.

Tip: Read Help! We’re About to Navigate the Dutch Secondary Education System for an explanation of the three levels and more information and links to information about the Dutch secondary education system.

This is in stark contrast to the English secondary education I went through many decades ago. It was a question of choosing the school you wanted to go to, and there was one level of schooling – i.e. working towards G.C.S.E exams taken at the age of 16. Some children took fewer G.C.S.E exams than others and I remember maths classes being split into three groups depending on ability levels. But that was the extent of streaming as far as I can remember.

Why I Was Once a Fan of Early Streaming

It seemed like a good idea to me to put children of the same kind of academic level together. Some children like learning the theory and from books (on laptops), some don’t. Some learn better by doing. This perceived plus point was reinforced to me by talking to other parents. Some children have a clear idea of the kind of profession they want to do later and want to travel that path early on. Some children know they would like to go into higher education. So different streams for different needs.

And as I wrote in a blog post many years ago, the Dutch secondary education system is flexible.

Flexibility Within the System

Before you panic and think the system is forcing your child down a path at an early age, (my initial thoughts when I realised how different the system is compared to the British education system I went through) the Dutch system also offers flexibility.

Should it be clear that a child is not following the right level, they can move between MAVO, HAVO and VWO – up or down. VMBO students can move to HAVO at a later stage.

Help! We’re About to Navigate the Dutch Secondary Education System

Flexible Education System at What Cost?

The fact is that a twelve year old child is different from the sixteen year old version of themselves. Some children develop academically more quickly than others. Some lose their way. And then we come back to that flexibility…. Yes, a child struggling with VWO can move to HAVO, a child excelling at MAVO can move up to HAVO. Great.

But if we dissect this, it’s soon clear that this can be dramatic for a teenager. Even after four years of doing VWO a child can find themselves struggling and have to transfer to HAVO. Four years of building up a social network, a group of solid friends. And then BAM – they have to start all over again. And anyone with a teenager will know how hard this can hit. Within the Dutch education system, this streaming means that academic success trumps the social-emotional development of a child. It can make a teenager feel like a failure. It’s a mental health disaster.

The Negative Side of Streaming Children Early

The other question this early streaming raises is this: does it limit a child’s options? Are they pushed into a box so early that they can no longer get out?

The Netherlands is backwards in this, alas. There is early streaming based on assumed ability, which will make children and their parents think the child is either smart or can only work with his hands. Which will affect the future of that child.

Roelien den Ouden

A 2024 European Commission report also highlights some issues and criticisms of early streaming within the Dutch education system:

Early tracking may increase inequalities. Dutch children are streamed into different secondary education tracks by performance-based selection at age 12. This can lead to inequalities as pupils with the same cognitive capacities, but different backgrounds, may end up at different educational levels (Education Council, 2021). In 2021, the Education Council published an opinion on later selection in response to a request from the government. It recommended abolishing the end-of-primary test and postponing the time of selection until after the first 3 years of secondary school to make education more accessible.

Education and Training Monitor 2024

Is the Dutch Secondary Education System Working?

Tests, Tests and More Tests

In order to determine whether a child is at the right level of education, a school needs to continually assess that child. At the end of every chapter taught, there is a test to see if the pupil has grasped the topic. That’s fine right? Until you hear that the results of each and every test is put into the system (Magister), every test is weighted, and each result goes towards an average that will determine at the end of the school year whether or not a pupil:

  • moves to the next year of the study
  • redoes the school year
  • moves to a different level entirely

There is a constant pressure on a child to keep performing well in tests throughout the entire school year. And when I say throughout the year, I mean random and constant. As illustration, last school year (at HAVO and VWO levels): my (then) 12 year old had 12 tests and two marked assignments between the end of August and the start of November, my (then) 13 year old had 8 (but has a reduced subject list due to long covid) and my eldest had 10 tests, two marked assignments and in the toetsweek (exam week) starting the following week the class had another nine tests, making it 19 tests in three months. It’s enough to make your head spin.

And to make matters worse, if it would seem from test results that the subject matter hasn’t been understand well by much of the class the subject matter is not revisited. The class moves on to the next chapter, highlighting that it’s about the results and not about what has sunk into a child’s brain!

Final Year – Exam Year

In the fifth and final year of HAVO, every test my child sits in the course of a year counts towards his end exam result. Every single test. It’s the end of January and my son has 21 different results in so far, all counting towards his final marks. And there are plenty more tests to come – with state exams starting in May (counting for 50% of the final exam marks). The pressure is constant.

Results, Results and More Results

Test results are generally posted on Magister. They can appear at any time – evenings, weekends. There’s no switching off as pupils await their results. There’s nothing like a red 3 appearing in the system to ruin a teenager’s weekend.

And parents have access to these results too. There is an ongoing trial to stop parents seeing test results (link in Dutch), stating that parental pressure is not helping. The idea is that pupils inform parents about their results when they see fit.

My only comment on this would be that perhaps the pressure on pupils stems predominantly from the fact that there is constant testing and results can appear at any moment…. perhaps there is werk aan de winkel here too.

The School Timetable

Those of you who follow me on BlueSky will know I sometimes throw out a post about the number of cancelled lessons on my children’s timetables. There are weeks when it is shocking. Unlike my days of going to school from 9am to 3.30pm regardless of whether a teacher was ill, attending a funeral or had died overnight (only three reasons teachers were permitted to be absent), the Dutch system often drops lessons, particularly in the upper school, with a moment’s notice. Kids will be on their way to school before they realise there is actually no lesson to go to on arrival.

The national teacher shortage (link is to a Dutch article) does nothing to help this. As in other countries, teaching has become an unattractive profession. Long Covid has also played a role in the teacher shortage.

Timetables do not have a structured start or end time and are often littered with tussenuurtjes (free/study periods).

A Nation of Happy Children?

At the same time as a high level of lesson cancellation, it’s not unusual for one of my children to have lessons until 4.45pm and get home at 5.30pm. Eating, hobbies, jobs, homework and study are squeezed into what is left of the evening. It’s a more rigorous schedule than many face in the workplace, where part-time working is popular. Maybe their long school days have taught Dutch people to take control of their calendars once they reach adulthood and are able to…… just a thought.

Within very little time of having a child in the Dutch secondary education system, I started to wonder how it is that Dutch children always come out so high in happiness surveys.

And I am not the only one to question this.

The consistently high scores for Dutch students also sit uncomfortably against a recent mania for testing and evaluation in this small country, which has breached all boundaries of common sense and kindness. As grades have plummeted in literacy and maths, standardised testing, provided by commercial firms, has proliferated. Many primary schools give children multiple formal tests each year. At secondary level, some schools spend three entire weeks a year* on testing. Public health organisations report that teenage stress levels are rising.

The Guardian

*Incidentally, in my sons’ school, three entire weeks of testing per year would be an improvement on their current situation. Each toetsweek is 1 ½ weeks long and there are tests in between the three annual toetsweken.

Performance Trends in Key Subjects

A European Commission report in 2024 also reveals a worrying downwards trend (in the EU as a whole, by the way) when it comes to performance in reading, mathematics and science. For example, the Netherlands is seeing a steeper decline in reading performance than the EU average. The notable increase in vacancies for Dutch teachers will certainly not be helping this alarming decline.

Trends in performance in reading, PISA mean scores, 2003-2022

Science and maths see declining levels too, but performance remains above the EU average in these areas.

Trends in performance in mathematics, PISA mean scores, 2003-2022
Trends in performance in science, PISA mean scores, 2003-2022

Underachievement is increasing, particularly among disadvantaged children. (As the parent of a child with severe issues because of Long Covid, I am more aware than most of the issues when your child falls outsides the boundaries of regular education, but that is probably a post for another day).

So early streaming and constant testing isn’t having the desired impact on the performance in key subjects either.

The Future?

It must be said that the general standard of the Dutch education system remains good, particularly higher education. Internationally, Dutch education features high on the list but the quality is stagnating, despite many ‘reforms’. And as you have read, the secondary education system has its fair share of growing problems.

Private Schools

There are also concerns about the growing number of private schools opening up in the Netherlands. There are fears that the doubling of private schools in the past two years will lead to a two-tier society. Are parents turning to private schools because the education system in general is failing children? It is food for thought.

Government Plans

In my opinion, the Dutch secondary education system looks promising in theory but in practice is in need of an overhaul. All trends indicate a looming crisis within the Dutch secondary school system, ranging from the issue of a teacher shortage as well as teacher quality (a consequence of the lack of teachers), a widening gap beween advantaged and disadvantaged children, teenage mental health concerns and performance in key school subjects.

So what is the current government doing to address these issues?

A huge cut to the money for the education system (from primary to higher) is planned. And I mean HUGE. Schoof Cabinet’s government programme: largest education cut this century remains in place

…..on Budget Day it becomes clear how the pain of the cutbacks will be shared in the coming years – at least, in part. The bill will not only be paid by higher education, but also by primary education and secondary vocational education. These sectors will structurally lose more than 700 million euros. Among other things, initiatives for more equal opportunities will be affected, but also teachers in the Randstad region where the teacher shortage is the greatest. For some cutbacks, large amounts are already being booked without the government knowing how they will be implemented.

AoB.nl

A little light at the end of the tunnel? There are encouraging trends when it comes to teacher training numbers, with slight increases in the numbers being attracted to train to become the teachers of the future.

But all in all, the picture is not a rosy one.

Over to You

I would LOVE to hear about your experiences of the Dutch education system (and those in other countries for that matter) from primary to higher education. Is it a positive experience? What do you think about early streaming? Do you fear for the future of the education system in the Netherlands? Let me know in the comments below or on social media (Facebook or BlueSky).

Mothers Earth Wash Strips
Society

You Can Reduce Plastic Waste with Mother’s Earth Wash Strips

Turning_Dutch

*This is an affiliate post*

I recently discovered Mother’s Earth laundry and dishwasher strips. Mother’s Earth is a Dutch mother and son enterprise with a mission to supply plastic free washing products.

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1. Less Plastic

Our plastic bin is emptied by the council rubbish collection service every month, and it’s full every single time. I am trying to reduce the amount of plastic that comes into our home, but it really isn’t easy. All the good intentions are difficult to realise as you walk around the supermarkets and see just how much of our weekly groceries are wrapped in plastic. (The Netherlands doesn’t have a great plastic track record).

When it comes to laundry detergent, the plastic use is evident. I do at least a wash a day, most days. We are a family of 5 with two footballers in the house – that’s two trainings and a match per week. There are school gym lessons too. And then just daily life. And so I always go for the money saving xl bottles of washing detergents.

Compare my regular stash of washing detergent and Mother’s Earth wash strips:

Mother's Earth Wash Strips - no plastic

One cardboard envelope v 3 plastic bottles.

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2. Donate to Good Causes

Mother’s Earth donates their products (based on their sales) to places like animal shelters and women’s refuge centres. So far over 100,000 washes have been donated to places that help people and animals in need. I can get on board with that.

Does What it Says on the Cardboard Envelope

I have been using the wash strips for a couple of weeks. The strips come in two varieties – scentless and spring breeze. I love the spring breeze scent, it gives clothes that real smell of fresh laundry. The wash strips (both scented and unscented)I wash the clothes as well as the detergent I normally use. Aside from a different scent, I wouldn’t have been aware of the switch if I wasn’t the mug doing all the washing in our house.

Mother's Earth wash strips

As I mentioned, I have two footballers in the house. The fabulous news is that they play in white shorts and white thermals. I often have to soak all this before throwing it in the washing machine, and Mother’s Earth strips can be used for stain removal too, and then put in the machine. The end result has been the same with the strips as it is after soaking and washing with my usual detergent for white washing.

So same result, no plastic waste. And that makes me happy.

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swearing
Languages

Is Swearing in a Second Language Less Meaningful?

Turning_Dutch

Swearing in a second language can be an absolute minefield. That delightful little quirk of human language that brings a mix of shock, humour, and sometimes a bit of relief. But what happens when we step outside our native tongue and hurl a curse in a second language?

Max Verstappen: “As soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was f—ed” 

Max Verstappen is the Marmite of the sporting world, you either love him or hate him. He recently created a stir with the FIA swearing in English during a press conference to describe his car. The Formula 1 driver has been punished with an order to do community service, something it seems Verstappen has no intention of doing. He threatened to quit the sport completely and the incident has become quite the row within the world of Formula 1, with other drivers stepping in to have their say, as well. Hamilton, when talking about the punishment, was heard uttering, “That’s just f—— stupid.” Nah, I made that up, but you know he uttered it away from the cameras.

I am not going to weigh in on whether it’s ok to swear during a press conference. But what is interesting is that Verstappen swore in a second language. So his ‘what’s all the fuss’ reaction may be partly attributable to this fact.

Swearing in a Second Language

Swearing in a second language can often feel less impactful or meaningful. If you grow up in another country then a curse word in your new country doesn’t feel taboo like the swear words you grow up with do. This phenomenon relates to emotional distance; when you express strong feelings in a language that isn’t your native tongue, the words usually carry less weight because they lack the deep personal connection and cultural context of your first language. They are just sounds with no attachment. And therein lies the problem.

A Gateway to Culture

First, let’s acknowledge the cultural weight of swearing. Swear words are a part of every language in the world (except Esperanto, apparently). In any language, curse words are often deeply rooted in history, tradition, and social norms. When you swear in a second language, you’re not just throwing around random words; you’re engaging with the culture that birthed them.

Swearing in Dutch

For instance, in Dutch, calling someone a klootzak (literally “testicle bag”) doesn’t just sound funny; it carries a hefty punch, embodying a certain flair that’s uniquely Dutch. However, other Dutch swear words can feel incredibly uncomfortable as they often relate to diseases.

An example is kankerlijer, which literally means cancer sufferer. You may hear kankerzooi thrown about if someone drops something or something goes wrong, meaning a ‘cancerous mess’. I mean, seriously. ‘Het is kanker weer,’ is also a phrase you may hear a lot, which literally means, ‘it is cancer weather,’ i.e. the weather isn’t great…..

But cancer isn’t the only disease the Dutch like to swear with: tering is another popular swear word, translating to tuberculosis. If somebody directs a krijg de tering at you, then they are hoping you will get tuberculosis. Notably, you can use tering to describe something incredibly positive – such as ‘het was teringleuk‘ (it was tuberculosis fun).

Tyfus is aso common. Literally typhus. You can use this in the same way as tering, as in krijg de tyfus, but you can add tyfus to pretty much any other (derogatory) word and form an insult.

And the Dutch don’t restrict themselves to diseases of the past, they move with the times and so you may hear AIDS being used to insult you too, for example.

Swear Words are Cultural

There are many other Dutch swear words, non-disease related, but before this turns into a lesson in Dutch swearing, my point is that swear words in Dutch are vastly different from those in other languages. In fact, is there any other language in the world that swears with diseases? I don’t know, but it’s certainly not common. Back to my main point, swear words are cultural.

When you can swear correctly in a second language, in the right context, the right environment, without causing insult, then perhaps you know you are fluent in that language. Perhaps.

Is Swearing in a Second Language Less Meaningful

Swearing in a Second Language is Funny. Right?

Hands up who delighted in learning swear words in language classes in school. When you have those first French, Spanish or German lessons, the first thing you want to learn is invariably how to swear in that new language. What a power to utter swear words that mean absolutely nothing to you. And how funny swearing in a second language is too. Including for the natives listening to you.

And The Dutch Like Swearing in a Second Language Too

So, back to Verstappen dropping the F-bomb. If you have lived in the Netherlands for any length of time, you will know that the use of the F word, as well as shit, is prevalent. Kids use these words ALL THE TIME, and think nothing of it. I grew up in a landscape of swear words being frowned upon, always bleeped out, and explicit music wasn’t played on public radio. When I moved to the Netherlands I heard the F word being used far more than I ever had in England. It’s almost a stop word here. It’s on the TV, on the radio. It is a word that has come out of the mouths of people I would not have expected to hear it from. Because it is that, a word. With little meaning to the Dutch utterer.

So in that context, when Verstappen swore during a press conference, it arguably meant less to him because he was swearing in a second langauge. If Verstappen had uttered, “As soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was a kankerzooi,” then that’s a whole different discussion and community service helping in a local hospice would certainly be a fair punishment.

View from Train Window
summer

From Arnhem to Berlin by Train

Turning_Dutch

From Arnhem to Berlin on the train – that was our adventure this summer. Driving is often easy and convenient to nearby countries from the Netherlands, so it’s usually our preferred option. This year we decided to do something different. Taking the train was a break from our normal means of travel for our summer break. So is travelling from Arnhem to Berlin by train something I’d do again?

Book in Advance

I booked our travel nearly three months in advance with Treinreiswinkel, but you can also book direct with Deutsche Bahn. The earlier you book the cheaper it is. We had plenty of options in terms of connections and times. I opted for first class travel as it wasn’t much more than the regular tariff.

Then it was a question of waiting until the end of July came around.

International Train

Our first train was from Doetinchem to Arnhem. A broken down train on the line to Arnhem caused momentary stress as we saw minutes ticking away until our train was due to leave in Arnhem, but we arrived on time (tip number 1: leave ample time between connecting trains).

The travel from Arnhem through to Deventer was seamless. Here we awaited our international train, a Deutsche Bahn InterCity (IC), to Berlin Ostbahnhof. Incidentally, this route starts in Amsterdam, so it’s possible to go direct from the Dutch to the German capital by train. There is also a sleeper train from Amsterdam to Berlin.

In any case, our IC was slightly delayed, but what’s a few minutes between friends?

1st Class to Berlin

The five of us found our carriage, located our seats and made ourselves comfortable. I, inexperienced train traveller that I am, was pleasantly surprised to find the first class seats are actually in closed off compartments with seating for six. There was one passenger already seated in the compartment. He was busy on his laptop with cultural stuff – looked interesting in any case…..but I obviously wasn’t snooping.

In first class, the seats are adjustable, there is good leg room and it is quiet.

We unpacked the necessary items for the journey: my library copy of Yellowface, water bottles, some snacks, Exploding Kittens, mobile chargers (there are plugs and WiFi in the compartments) and a good dollop of excitement for our trip to Berlin.

Hot, Hot, Hot

It became apparent to the one member of the family whose telephone was already empty of juice that the phone wasn’t charging. That is to say that the sockets weren’t functioning. As the compartment got warmer and warmer, we realised that the airco wasn’t working either. Our co-traveller told us it had all been working fine before the train stopped in Deventer.

The train crew then announced they had reset the system hoping to rectify the problem in some carriages. However, as our airco and sockets kicked back into life the announcement came that the issue had not been solved in some other carriages. This meant that passengers couldn’t legally sit in them because of the high temperatures. NS staff ‘rehomed’ passengers where possible, or advised them to board a connecting train when we got further into Germany. In other words, we were luckier than some other passengers in having a hassle free train ride to Berlin.

From Arnhem to Berlin on the Train

Dutch to German

Just before the German border, our NS Dutch train driver said his farewells, and his German DB colleagues replaced him. Now we were really on holiday. Months of Duolingo practice was already proving handy as the German crew relayed information over the tannoy.

Time for a few rounds of Exploding Kittens and some cheese rolls, as we raced deeper and deeper into Germany.

In Berlin for Tea Time

We arrived (half an hour later than scheduled) in Berlin, at the Hauptbahnhof. We got our gear, exited the train and headed off down the platform in search of the tourist office, as we wanted to ask some questions about the Berlin Welcome Card.

First observation was that the station is GINORMOUS. I don’t travel often by train anymore, but Berlin’s main station dwarfed any London station I have been to. It was vast. And the tourist office wasn’t signposted anywhere. There was much wandering, much frustration and much uttering of Schieße, not language picked up with Duolingo I hasten to add. Eventually we found it next to the main entrance and joined the long, slow queue of tourists.

Long story short, we got our Berlin Welcome Cards. This was something I spent a long time researching. It is only worth buying if you intend to do and see a lot in Berlin. And that was certainly our plan! (Tip number 2: do your research – information is online and the card includes public transport costs, so definitely worth looking into).

So How was Travelling from Arnhem to Berlin by Train?

It was convenient, time passed relatively quickly and we were reasonably comfortable. The journey was over six hours. There was enough space for our luggage, but we travelled quite lightly. We were not on an ICE, which is a faster train, so the journey can be done more quickly than we did it in. The route was scenic, and we entertained ourselves. I am sure the other passengers who had the inconvenience of moving carriages, or even trains, may not be quite so positive about their journey. However, I am positive about our experience. Taking the train was definitely less stressful and tiring than driving, taking the inevitable holiday traffic and jams into account. And it beats flying hands down!

I would certainly do it again.

Over to You

Share your train travel experiences below, or your reasons to avoid trains!

Dutch Parliament
Politics

Dick Schoof Proposed as New Dutch Prime Minister

Turning_Dutch

When I came to the Netherlands in 2000, Dutch politics was something to really get my head around. Coming from a two party system in Britain, I was amazed at the number of parties in the Dutch system. And the fact that coalitions are just a normal part of Dutch life. It’s always been a puzzle to get a functioning government in pace. Recently, the electorate is feeling disenchanted and is polarised. So the political waters here have become particularly choppy, making it an intriguing time to take a closer look at what’s happening.

A New Prime Minister: Why Dick Schoof?

The Netherlands recently witnessed a significant shift in its political leadership with the announcement that Dick Schoof will be the next Prime Minister of the Netherlands. Schoof’s rise to the premiership comes at a time when the country is navigating through turbulent political waters. This was sparked by the resignation of Mark Rutte and his government in July 2023.

Since no single party emerged with a clear majority (as is usually the case in Dutch politics) in the elections in November 2023, four right wing parties (PVV, NSC, VVD, BBB) have been in talks since then to try and form a coalition government, with Wilder’s PVV as the party holding the cards.

Geert Wilders

Wilder’s party (PVV – Party for Freedom) received the most votes in the general election last year. However, it wasn’t enough to form a government outright. A controversial figure, Wilders’ success raised concerns among various groups, including immigrants. He is known for his controversial and strong stance on immigration and Islam. The highly fragmented Dutch political system of proportional representation has meant that it was by no means a slam dunk that Wilders would be the next Prime Minister of the Netherlands.

The traditional process of appointing a Prime Minister from the winning party was untenable in this particular coalition. For a start, Peter Omzigt, the leader of NSC, refused to be part of a coalition with Wilders as PM.

Compromise is the Name of the Game

The proposed appointment of Dick Schoof is the result of extensive negotiations and compromises among the four coalition parties.

The four key parties, recognising the need for a unifying figure, announced Schoof this week as their candidate for PM. It’s a surprise proposal, to say the least, but many political commentators state that it is also a logical one. His non-partisan stance (although he was a member of PVDA (Labour) until 3,5 years ago) and previous roles have been pivotal in securing the support of a broad coalition.

Who is Dick Schoof?

Dick Schoof was the head of the AIVD intelligence service, National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV) and director of the Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND). So it’s clear that he has a background that matches the key electoral issues pertaining to the asylum process and organised crime. Having said this, he has no political experience – but the four coalition parties see this as advantageous – he is a figure that stands above any political party.

What Next?

Dick Schoof, as prime minister, will lead the extra-parliamentary cabinet that the four parties plan to form. The coalition recently published their agreement, and for the coming weeks the focus will be on choosing ministers and Secretaries of State. The plan is that the new coalition government will be in place at the beginning of July (presumably just in time for it all to close down for the summer).

Dick Schoof announced this week, during a press conference, that he intends to be een premier voor alle Nederlanders. Time will tell.

For the Record

*I would like credit for the fact that I have written an entire blog post about a future PM called Dick, without any reference to the fact that I, as a Brit, am more than used to seeing a Dick as PM.*

Physio office
Health

The Never Ending Story of Long Covid

Turning_Dutch

Some of you will already be aware that I have Long Covid, and that hampers my activity here on the blog. My primary focus is on my writing and translation clients, and there is often no energy left in the pot for other writing activities. For those of you not aware of the Long Covid troubles, bij deze, as the Dutch say.

I haven’t written about our journey with Long Covid for a couple of years now, but it is something I have been wanting to write about. A lot has happened in the space of those years, and not much of it positive. Today I have some energy and the brain fog is as minimal as it gets.

Our Long Covid Story

You can read about the start of my family’s Long Covid story here: Getting Help for Long Covid in the Netherlands. That was written back in May 2022, a couple of months after my husband, my middle son and I got reinfected with Covid. Whilst my husband recovered from the virus and got on with life, my son and I deteriorated rapidly and notably. The Long Covid got worse and worse. Today, as we slide towards the end of February 2024, things are not much better.

Treatment for Long Covid in the Netherlands: Physiotherapy

I think the best way to tell our story of Long Covid is by means of sharing the treatment routes we have been through since 2020, but more notably last year and so far this year.

In 2020, the GP referred Long Covid patients to a physiotherapist. The aim of the physiotherapist was to slowly build up exercise tolerance, based on the idea that the intense fatigue that Long Covid brings with it could be beaten into submission with minutes on a treadmill or exercise bike. In other words, Long Covid is the result of deconditioning, a loss of fitness. In September 2020, I had six months of physio. This entailed very gentle exercise and many breathing exercises. By the end of the six months there was minor improvement. I would say I was back to about 60% of my previous life, but the symptoms never went away.

Months after my reinfection I was clearly going downhill fast and I went back to my GP. He sent me back to the physio. This time around the impact of the physio sessions was different. After every session I spent days in bed or on the sofa. I felt physically wrung out. Physio sessions then focused solely on breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. There was no treadmill, rowing machine or exercise bike. The act of cycling to my appointments became too much. At the end of 2022, my physio announced that there was literally nothing more she could do for me and I should go back to the GP. Which I did.

Treatment for Long Covid in the Netherlands: Psychosomatisch Oefentherapeut

My GP referred me to a psychosomatisch oefentherapeut. Basically, more focus on stress, tension and thought patterns relating to the ‘unexplained symptoms’. In essence, she introduced yet another form of Graded Exercise Therapy (GET), which I told her would not work as that had already been tried and by now I was aware I had developed PEM (post-exertional malaise) after my reinfection. We struggled through a couple of appointments but I was wholly aware this was the wrong path – simply because the symptoms are not stress related nor the result of how I think about my symptoms. As much as I can want the symptoms to disappear, I cannot force PEM to take a back seat. The therapist did not get this at all. Absolutely no understanding of Long Covid or PEM.

The Problem with PEM

We all know that exercise is good for you. As a recovery tool, health professionals heavily prescribe GET. And for many patients, it is effective.

However, if you throw PEM into the mix, GET does harm. In January 2024, Rob Wust et al published research results indicating the physical impact of exercise on those with PEM. In other words, the exacerbated symptoms that patients face following a GET program are not imagined. As many media outlets reported it, ‘Het zit niet tussen de oren‘.

If I entered a physiotherapist’s practice with my leg in plaster, the therapist wouldn’t tell me to hop up onto the treadmill. But PEM symptoms happen after an appointment and are rarely seen by the health practitioner. (More on this below)

Treatment for Long Covid in the Netherlands: Next?

So after much frustration, I went back to my GP in January 2023 for alternative help. He quite literally shrugged his shoulders and said Long Covid is new so he had no further avenues for me. And since then I have been on my own with continuing symptoms. Oh, aside from going back to him about some serious dizziness, which he concluded was not blood pressure related – and that was that. Getting referred to any specialist has been a no goer. I have had a blood test (low Vitamin D, as is the case with so many Long Covid patients) but that is the extent of it.

There is Simply Nowhere to Go

I have regular contact with C-Support, now my only line of support along with Long Covid Facebook groups. The advice from my contact there has been invaluable through the years. Quite frankly, my contact person there is the only person that actually understands the impact of Long Covid and the problems the ‘treatments’ offered within the Dutch healthcare system cause for patients, particularly those with PEM. He has stated all along that the only thing that helps patients with PEM at this time is pacing (i.e. energy management). Fatigue (which underplays the symptom) however, is only one of many symptoms. Tackling individual Long Covid symptoms is also possible, says C-support, but something that is invariably not happening in the Netherlands.

So for the last year I have been on my own to cope with Long Covid. I pace. My world has become small. We don’t plan far ahead. We take each day as it comes.

The Never Ending Story of Long Covid

Long Covid Clinics

Medical professionals have long been calling for Long Covid expertise centres to be set up in the Netherlands. Pooling expertise. Establishing a single centre for patients to go to, instead of being passed from specialist to specialist who invariably can find nothing unusual relating to their particular field of expertise (Long Covid is a multi-system condition). Dutch Parliament voted two weeks ago to set these centres up. How long this will take is the question. And how many of the estimated 90,000 seriously impacted patients will be seen within a reasonable time frame is the other.

Children with Long Covid

Our GP was more inclined to send our two children to a specialist to rule out other health conditions when their Long Covid story started. I highlighted their journey up until May 2022 in an earlier post. However, their story since has continued.

Firstly, the good news. My now 12-year-old has made a significant recovery. He still has relapses when he overdoes it, his life is still all about pacing. But we have largely found the balance to keep him on his feet. I would say he’s back to about 90% of his pre-Covid self.

The bad news is that my 13-year-old has only gone backwards. His life is essentially on hold. Having struggled more than ever since reinfection in 2022, he has been up and down, mainly down. He’s operating at about 20% of his pre-Covid life.

Treatment for Children with Long Covid: Physiotherapy & GET

In January 2023, he started seeing a physiotherapist who was a Long Covid ‘expert’, who knew how to help children with Long Covid. This was step one of a referral to a revalidatie program. The first session was very clearly setting up a GET program. I informed her of my issue with such a program. I talked about PEM. Slowly, slowly, she said. At some point in February she came to the conclusion that physiotherapy, that GET, was causing him more harm than good. She saw him getting worse in front of her eyes, and she was shocked. And that she was stopping with immediate effect, he just wasn’t up to it.

This segment from a KASSA episode about children with Long Covid explains what we experienced. The medical psychologist explains here that they quickly arrived at the conclusion in the Amsterdam poli that GET did harm and they stopped it. The message, however, didn’t get round to the rest of the country. And still hasn’t. Years later.

Treatment for Children with Long Covid: Rehabilitation

The revalidatie company then proposed an appointment in Arnhem to talk about their rehabilitation program. Which we did. At all times we have been open minded and open to all possible avenues. We came out of that appointment shellshocked. The specialist knew nothing about Long Covid, nothing about PEM, had never heard of C-Support and quite frankly it didn’t matter to him what condition my son had. The program would be the same whether it was a teenage burnout or Long Covid with PEM. They were going to admit him for three months, purposely push him over his limits and see where it led. It was obviously a loud no from us, and more importantly, from my son.

We retreated for a while from any further medical interventions.

Rest and Recuperation

After a summer of rest, we saw huge improvements. Once the new school year started, he wanted to try cycling to school once a week, attend all lessons in school every day and do his football. And for two months, it worked reasonably well. But he, like so many other children, caught virus after virus, fought one or two off and then a virus floored him. And he plummeted back down to nothing.

Relapse

My child spent most of November and December 2023, and some of January 2024 in bed or on the sofa, notably with debilitating headaches. We have been back and forth to his paediatrician. He has seen a neurologist, had an MRI, is now on migraine medication. It helps marginally, but headaches are a daily thing. At a loss on what more to do, his paediatrician referred him to another children’s hospital, where a Long Covid ‘expert’ would supposedly look at his case from a biomedical perspective. In reality, the recommendation was by and large more CBT and GET. There was nothing biomedical about it. We go round in circles.

This springs to mind:

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

Treatment for Children with Long Covid: Medical Psychologist

Since 2022, my son has been assigned a psychologist. He is currently under the care of a medical psychologist. She has been helping with pacing, acceptance and keeping him afloat in terms of his mood. (Because let’s face it, being 13 and having your life on hold is bloody hard). She recently suggested, in the midst of his clambering back up from his relapse, that he start seeing a physiotherapist, to build up the cycling so he could cycle to school (because of the issues with transport to school). Yep, GET. Insert the appropriate emoji here and utter the quote above over and over. This was actually the same week as the KASSA episode linked above where we got to hear that GET isn’t done for Long Covid patients anymore……

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy)

CBT, along with GET, is a popular path that medical practitioners send Long Covid sufferers down.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a talking therapy that can help you manage your problems by changing the way you think and behave.

It’s most commonly used to treat anxiety and depression, but can be useful for other mental and physical health problems.

CBT is also sometimes used to treat people with long-term health conditions, such as:

Although CBT cannot cure the physical symptoms of these conditions, it can help people cope better with their symptoms.

NHS

Unfortunately, talking about Long Covid symptoms does not make they go away, nor does it alleviate them. For some people it may help with acceptance. But that is the extent of it. However, if the medical specialists we have seen are to be believed, CBT is a route to expelling symptoms. In other words, the symptoms are in our head, or as the Dutch put it, ‘tussen de oren‘.

Don’t get me wrong CBT has its place for sure, but not as a treatment for Long Covid. And no one will convince me otherwise.

Post-Acute Infection Syndrome (PAIS)

Long Covid is actually not a new kid on the block.

Many chronic illnesses have been largely ignored, dismissed, and ridiculed. Long COVID has taught the world that these diseases are real, there is a biological basis for them, and we need to study them.

Akiko Iwasaki, PhD

Long Covid is a PAIS. In essence, a chronic condition that occurs as a result of an infection. That could be viral, bacterial or parasitic. Examples of PAIS are those resulting from Lyme disease and Q fever, or myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). And now Long Covid.

The problem is that ME/CFS patients, to take one example, have been gaslighted by medical professionals for decades. The medical world has failed to take their symptoms seriously. Long Covid has cracked open the door a little, and medical professionals, and researchers, are starting to take the idea of PAIS more seriously. The economic cost of Long Covid alone has helped in this respect. Workers are being forced to withdraw en masse from the employment market. Money talks. So politicians prick their ears up.

The sheer numbers around the world of those with Long Covid in such a short time frame mean that research studies into PAIS is being seen in larger numbers and hitting the media on what seems like a daily basis. Baby steps, possible theories, possible ways forward.

Currently….

This month (February 2024), my son has started clambering his way back up and is currently doing a couple of lessons per day in school (some online, some physically in school). And this is about all he does in a day. He is currently stable. But his life is practically on hold. And as it currently stands, the only options open to him are physiotherapy and CBT. Whilst I am aware that physiotherapists that understand PEM and the importance of pacing can support Long Covid symptoms, we are yet to find such a therapist here. To say that the trust in physiotherapists has been depleted is an understatement. As for CBT, my 13-year-old does not need anyone to convince him that he needs to get up from the sofa and get on a football pitch or cycle to school – there is nothing in the world he wants more.

Long Covid Resources

Here’a a list of where to go if you need help with Long Covid or more information:

The Netherlands (Dutch resources)

English Language Resources

Feel free to contact me if you are in a similar situation and want to know more, or want a listening ear.

Indonesian food - Drum Roll: The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter I
Dutch

Drum Roll: The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter I

Turning_Dutch

Today the letter I is up on the stage, ready to be adorned. It’s time for the next instalment of the A-Z of Turning Dutch!

So I asked you guys what I word springs to mind when you contemplate life in the Netherlands. So without further ado, here is the A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter I list – in no particular order.

The Letter I and the Netherlands

  • I is for the IND the Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst (who did quite a good job helping Brits become registered in NL after Brexit, says this tweeter).
  • Ijsjes / Ijs (ice cream)
  • Inburgering (civic integration process – see below)
  • Ibbeltje (book character created by Annie M.G. Schmidt)
  • Ik (I)
  • Imker (bee keeper)
  • Indonesisch eten (see below)
  • Intocht (processions, often associated with Sinterklaas)

As you can see, it’s a short list. Is that because there aren’t many words beginning with I in Dutch? Well, according to Encyclo.nl, there are actually 26,650 Dutch words starting with an I. However, on closer inspection, many of them are actually names or English words. A lot of them are words that simply have ‘in’ added to the front of them. Many of them are not used by actual people. And so as far as I am concerned, the list above is representative and impressive. Considering.

Inburgering

This is an important word for non-Dutch people living here in the Netherlands, so little surprise it made it onto the list. And it’s only right that we pay the word a little attention. Inburgering is essentially the civic integration process. The Dutch government believes that those that come to live for the longer term in the Netherlands should be able to integrate into Dutch society. It means learning the Dutch language and learning about the country’s norms about working and living – and for many this process results in taking exams. Sometimes this is a compulsory process, other times a voluntary one, depending on your circumstances. My personal experience with the inburgering process was brief and problematic. Hopefully, yours is a different story (feel free to share below).

Read: 5 Dutch Habits You Need to Adopt to Adapt

Indonesisch Eten

When you first move to the Netherlands, you may or may not know about the Dutch link with Indonesia. You soon will. Indonesia used to be the largest of the Dutch colonies and the shared history is vast and controversial. The relationship spans 400 years. As a newcomer to the Netherlands, you will see many signs of this relationship. And food is certainly a major one.

Bee keeper - Imker in Dutch - The A-Z of Turning Dutch - the Letter I

Over to You

So that’s the round-up of the A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter I. What word beginning with I resonates with you the most? Or do you have a word to add to the list? Let me know in the comments.

Typically Dutch

A New Instalment of The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter H

Turning_Dutch

Today it’s time for another instalment of The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter H. What H words do you associate with life here in the Netherlands? Or with the Dutch as a people? Here’s what you said….

  • Houdoe
  • Hoge Veluwe (famous for the KRÖLLER-MÜLLER MUSEUM, the red deer and the non paint balled wolves) – @DannyKeg
  • Haven
  • Hutspot
  • Huisarts
  • Hondelul
  • Hakkelen
  • Hagelslag
  • Haring
  • Holland
  • Handschoenen
  • Hachee
  • Hete Bliksem
  • Hollandsche nieuwe (Haring)
  • Haring/ herring
  • Heerlijk
  • Hoor
  • Honden
  • Hatseflats
  • Hup
  • Høken
  • Huzarenstukje
  • Haringkje Happen
  • Hoera

The Undisputed Winner of the H Popularity Stakes

Hagelslag. Hands down. On crackers. That’s sprinkles to those of you still learning Dutch. Usually chocolate, but the Dutch have made it a mission to make hagelslag available in any colour and flavour imaginable. At Easter we have special Paas hagelslag and at Christmas red and green sprinkles with Christmas tree shapes adorn the crackers or bread.

Other Notable H Words

Fish Rules OK

Haring was also popular among Twitter followers (it will always be Twitter to me). Personally, it’s a big no from me when it comes to haring, but you guys are obviously fans. Basically, hold the fish by the tail and chomp away. Or put it on a ‘broodje’, if that’s your style. Neither is mine, but you get on with your life, and I’ll get on with my haring-vrij life.

The Huisarts

Huisarts is an important word. If you come to live in the Netherlands, or stay here for any lenght of time, you may find yourself needing a huisarts. That’s GP, or family doctor. The huisarts guards the path into the Dutch medical system. To access almost any kind of medical care, you will need to convince your huisarts that you 1) really are sick and 2) need medical attention from somebody other than your huisarts. To get past the first security line, you have to convince the huisarts that paracetamol has not done the trick, neither has waiting three days. This hugely increases your chances of getting past the second security hurdle, but only if the huisarts believes waiting another week really will not improve your chances of survival recovery.

The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter H - hond / dog

It’s a Dog’s Life

Honden. Dogs are popular in the Netherlands, in fact so popular I sometimes wonder if we are the only family not to have a dog. In reality, there are more cats than dogs here (2,9 million cats and 1,7 million dogs, as of 2019) but dogs are more visible in daily life. Due to the requirement to take dogs out for walks/to do their business. And it’s this last bit that is a huge bone of contention (see what I did there). It’s top of the list of annoying things in Dutch society. Hondenpoep is an issue. Dog owners pay dog tax, and some owners take this to mean that they have the right to leave their dog’s mess wherever they like. Google ‘hondenpoep overlast’ and you’ll see what I mean – go ahead, I’ll wait.

Conclusion

Today’s letter was a popular one. For today, The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter H is done. But don’t worry, the I is just around the corner…….

A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter G for gezellig
Typically Dutch

A-Z of Turning Dutch – Today’s Letter is the Letter G

Turning_Dutch

It’s time for a new instalment of The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter G is up today. It’s a letter many foreigners dread in the Dutch language, but today we are embracing it. Which G words ring out when you think about with life here in the Netherlands? Or which G words do you associate with the Dutch themselves?

The G Words

Here’s what Twitter followers said:

  • Gooise matras
  • Gezellig (cosy, sort of – see below)
  • gvd (short for godverdomme, which is cursing)
  • Geëerd (honoured)
  • Gratis (see below)
  • Gezever (drivel, nonsense – that kind of idea)
  • Goegemeente (explained beautifully below in the tweet)
  • Gouda kaas, belegen
  • Gatverdamme (handy word as it shows your displeasure without actually swearing)
  • Glimlach (smile)
  • Grachtengordel (neighbourhood in Amsterdam)
  • Gracht (canal within a city – the country is full of them!)
  • Gegiechel (giggling)
  • Goed (good)
  • Groen gras (green grass)
  • Graag (please, gladly, willingly – used a lot)
  • Groningen
  • Gaaf (great, fantastic, or cool)
  • Groen Links (political party)
  • Grommen (growl)
  • Gramschap (wrath – this was a new one for me)
  • Groeten (greetings, regards)
  • Grimmig (grim, unpleasant – if someone tells you the sfeer was grimmig, it really wasn’t a great place to be)
  • Gruwelijk (horrible, horrific)
  • Grolsch (you know this, I don’t need to help you)
  • Gezondheid (health)
  • Graag gedaan (you’re welcome)
  • Goude Eeuw (Golden Age, an important part of Dutch history)
  • Gevels (façades, which feature prominently around the grachten for sure. If this is your thing, check out types of gevels)
  • Gesneuveld (literally fallen – but actually mainly used to indicate killed in action)
  • Gezeik (load of crap, bullshit – but this Dutch word doesn’t have the same connotations as the English equivalents. However, my advice is use informally only)
  • Gezanik (whining, moaning, nagging)
  • Gooien (to throw – I guess some readers are sports fans?)
  • Goederen (goods, merchandise, property)
  • Geven (to give)
  • Gulden (former Dutch currency – see below)

The G Sound in Dutch

The G sound in Dutch, to the untrained foreign ear, can lead you to believe you need to step in and help someone from choking. For non-Dutch speakers, it takes time to get the G sound right. If you really cannot master it, despite years of trying, one reader has a tip for you:

It’s no coincidence that many of the G words above start with Gr. The Dutch do it on purpose to pester the rest of us. Gr is even harder to pronounce than a simple G. The rolling r really is difficult for most of us to pronounce. and I say that even after two decades here….

Gulden

When I moved to the Netherlands in September 2000, I caught the tail end of the gulden. The euro was introduced in January 2002 and replaced the Dutch currency. A little known fact, my mother-in-law still calculates prices back to the gulden, and teh result never delights her.

Gratis and Gezellig

Gratis is a word any seasoned Netherlands inhabitant will come to know. It means free, and the Dutch love gratis. The other G word any serious resident of this wonderful country should know is gezellig. The closest translation is cosy, but that doesn’t capture it. You can read all about gezellig in this blog post I made earlier….. what is your idea of gezellig?

A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter G: gezellig - candles, a book and an autumnal scene

So that’s it today for the A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter G. Watch out for the next instalment, which will be brought to you by the letter H.

Over to You

What’s your favourite Dutch G word? Is it one already in the list above, or can you add a new one to the mix?

Fries or friet
Typically Dutch

The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter F

Turning_Dutch

Up today in the The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter F. What words beginning with F do you associate with life here in the Netherlands? Or with the Dutch themselves? That’s the question I posed on Twitter as part of the A-Z of Turning Dutch series.

With no further ado, here’s what you said:

  • Frieten
  • Femke Halsema
  • Fietsen
  • Flipje
  • Fabeltjeskrant
  • Fiets
  • Fietspaden
  • Frietjes met fritessaus (en pindasaus)
  • Floddertje
  • Frikandellen
  • Fabritius van ‘t Puttertje
  • Flipperkast
  • Florijn or guilder, the currency before the Euro
  • Fierljeppen
  • Funda
  • Febo
  • Fokke & Sukke
  • Friet met
  • Fried food
  • Flensjes
  • Frituren

The Dutch Art of Frying

Clearly, there’s a heavy leaning towards fried food when you all think of life in the Netherlands. Chips (as in friet, not as in the Dutch for crisps) are a staple here, loaded with mayo, sate sauce or onions. All all three.

This is a foodstuff that could pop up again when we tackle the letter P……

And it seems that frikandellen are popular too.

The A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter F

Other F’s Worth Knowing About

Femke Halsema is worth a mention. She’s the mayor of Amsterdam, and has a distinguished political background, having been the leader of GroenLinks until 2010. You can read lots more about her here.

A flipperkast is a pinball machine. If you are a pinball fan, I can recommend a visit to the Bonami SpelComputer Museum in Zwolle!

Febo is essentially a food chain where you can buy fried foods (yes, we’re back to that) out of a wall. Fans of Febo will be delighted to know that you can purchase a variety of merchandise from Febo itself, along with the essential frikandel en friet natuurlijk.

And lastly Fokke en Sukke. This is a popular cartoon strip that features in the Dutch newspaper, NRC Handelsblad, created by John Reid, Bastiaan Geleijnse en Jean-Marc van Tol. Fokke is a duck and Sukke a canary. Apparently. The strip is humorous and often politically incorrect or sensitive.

So that’s it for now for the A-Z of Turning Dutch – the Letter F. Guess what’s coming next…..