My eldest is currently rounding off his time in group 7. It means that next year we will be looking for a secondary school for him to attend the subsequent year. The Dutch secondary school system is a whole new ball game for me, as I didn’t go through the Dutch education system. And it’s a steep learning curve full of abbreviations. In the same boat? Here’s what VMBO, HAVO and VWO all mean.
Secondary Education: Which Level Suits My Child?
Once a child has finished the basisschool, usually around the age of twelve, they move to a middelbare school or voortgezet onderwijs. To you and me that is secondary education.
The Dutch secondary education system splits children into different levels straight out of junior school. Which level of education a twelve year old embarks on is dependent on schooladvies. In short, this is the advice of the school. It is based on the ability and development of the child throughout the bassischool. It includes test results (CITO, IEP), ability to concentrate, and their levels of motivation and perseverance.
Teachers give the first secondary school level advice at the end of group 7*. This can change over the course of group 8.
It is possible that school gives two possible options for your child’s next step – e.g. HAVO + VWO.
*This is where we currently are – there’ll be lots more posts on this next school year I’m sure as we go through the process.
Three Levels of Secondary Education
Compulsory subjects in Dutch secondary schools are Dutch, English, maths, geography, history, sciences, physical education and arts.
Secondary education streams children into three main study courses:
- VMBO (Voorbereidend Middelbaar Beroepsonderwijs): a four-year course comprising vocational training and the core subjects at one of four levels. Around 60% of pupils follow this level of education. Many go on to follow a middelbaar beroepsonderwijs (MBO) to learn a profession or switch to HAVO.
- HAVO (Hoger Algemeen Voortgezet Onderwijs): Approximately 20% of pupils follow HAVO. This is a five year study with three years of a standard set of subjects, followed by two years of chosen subsets. This is preparation for university or professional education.
- VWO (Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs): this prepares children for a university education in the fields of science or the arts and lasts for six years.
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.
Resources
Check out the government education site for information: Rijksoverheid – Voortgezet onderwijs
There’s a great overview by Nuffic in English to watch on YouTube.
Nuffic also publishes detailed info sheets which you can access here.
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