Week four of our first experience with Dutch secondary school attendance and I have some observations.
Firstly, it’s not me who is attending secondary school. Those days are well and truly behind me; it’s my eldest son who has the pleasure.
As a British born, recently turned Dutch woman, I have not personally been through the Dutch secondary education system. (On the other hand, even if I had I assume things would have changed during the last few decades (and yes, I have been purposefully liberal with the number of decades we are talking about) but I digress). Therefore, I am enjoying glimpsing the system through the eyes of my twelve year old.
Here’ are six things I have learnt so far.
1. First Week Differs Wildly From School to School
My son started his voortgezetonderwijs journey on a Tuesday, had two intro days (the second being entirely in English as it is a TTO course) and then was flung into timetabled lessons. He brought homework home that third day, and every day since.
Other mothers of ‘brugklassers’ (first years) have been asking on Twitter if their child will ever start learning stuff as their intro week seems endless.
Other secondary school newbies have already been on school camp as a way of getting to know each other.
In short, I have observed that you just never know what the first week of Dutch secondary school will have in store!
2. Homework
It was clear in week one that the enormous jump from practically no homework in the basisschool to daily homework in secondary school was not a myth.
And that is just the tip of the iceberg I am aware.
Luckily, I have been drilling the expectation of never ever having free time again into my son since the beginning of this year. So he was fully prepared for this change in lifestyle. As prepared as any twelve year old boy who spent al his time outside of school either in a Minecraft world or out playing with friends can be.
3. Parental Involvement
There was talk of a triangle during the information evening: student, school, parent. I do know that the relationship you have as a parent with school changes completely when we are talking about secondary school.
I help out at the school library at my kids’ primary school, see their teachers a couple of times a week and the lines of communication are about as short as they can be.
Secondary school is a whole other world for parents. And it takes some getting used to.
My involvement so far is limited to homework help. I have found that I am excellent in helping with English and my French has started to stream back but I have to dig deep to help with maths. And this is only year one…….
4. Timetable
At the start of the school year I figured my son would get a rooster (timetable in Dutch and not fowl) and that would be that. As far as I can remember, that’s how my secondary school life worked.
Ha!
How naive.
There’s a vague pattern. But it’s vague.
His school day starts at 8.20. Or 9am. Sometimes it’s 9.10. Or 10am. It’s hard to say.
I sent a message to a friend who has a son in the tweede klas, asking her if this erratic timetabling is normal.
“Totally,” she replied. And so that is that.
5. Break Times
Break times running around a football pitch and playground are over. He spends each pauze in the canteen now. Luckily (not that he agrees) he cycles 45 minutes to school and he is in a football team so his daily exercise is covered.
6. Kids Have to Quickly Get Organised
Aside from all the planning that has to go into homework, kids need to give themselves a good kick up the bum to get themselves organised in terms of having the right school books with them, getting to the right classroom on time, and looking at their roosterinformatie every morning/evening in order to check what time they start school.
It’s a big change from turning up and school and seeing what the day brings.
Conclusion
The first four weeks at a Dutch secondary school make the basisschool time seem like a doddle. It’s made me let up even more on my youngest two and encourage them to get out and play after school as much as possible.
Because I know now that once they are at secondary school that care-free leisure time will be far more limited.
I also know that there’s only so far a GCSE A grade Maths will take you, thirty years later.
Further Information
Consult the Rijksoverheid website for everything you need to know about Dutch secondary education.
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