Education in the Netherlands

Overview

Children: 
In the Netherlands, education is compulsory for children between the ages of five to the age of 16, regardless of the child’s immigration status. Children can begin school earlier at the age of four and can stay longer depending on certain circumstances (developmental progress for example). Upon arrival in the Netherlands, younger children may be integrated into public schools where they are expected to pick up the Dutch language quickly. However, prior to this, many children attend an international preparatory school which focuses on intense language courses in combination with education. After one year of preparatory school, it is expected that children have a sufficient level of Dutch to attend a public school with other Dutch children. 

The Dutch education structure has four levels of education, which provide classes to children depending on their developmental progress and career ambitions. Compared to many countries, it is a unique system which aims to match children to an education and subsequently a career that best suits their ambitions and abilities. Decisions are made as young as age 12 when children take examinations which determine which level of higher education they will follow and thus, which career path they will take in adulthood. Unfortunately for new arrivals who do not speak Dutch or have missed schooling for some years – as is the case for many migrants – children are often put into the lower levels of education by default, which therefore shapes the rest of their education and potentially their career paths from a young age.

Children who complete their education in the Netherlands until the age of 18 and receive a residence permit are generally exempt from the requirement of passing the state integration examination.
Children without a residence permit are encouraged to attend school until the age of 18.
Children with pending asylum claims tend to reside in state asylum centers where educational facilities are provided on site, or they attend the nearest local school. A review in 2018 found that 99% of children who reside in asylum centers do attend school. In practice, asylum seekers tend to be relocated to multiple asylum centers during their first years in the Netherlands until they have a permanent base. This can cause disruptions to a child’s education, social network and general integration progress. Education at pre-school level for children under the age of five is often limited in the asylum center.
If an asylum claim has been rejected, families with children under the age of 18 are permitted to stay in designated asylum centers with access to education. Undocumented children are also permitted to attend school until the age of 18 (or until they finish their secondary education if they are older than 18).  It is very difficult to say how many undocumented children are in school – this very small study in Amsterdam collected responses from 267 undocumented adults, which found that 11% had children who did not attend school. 

Adults: 
The Dutch integration structure couples education and work to support an individual toward sustainable self-sufficiency. Education – rather than employment – is an option for refugees and asylum seekers to pursue upon receipt of their residence permit. Depending on the level of education, newcomers may be required to pass the Dutch integration exam before they commence their studies; a point that is clearly recognized by municipalities who ensure that those individuals who wish to study at a Dutch educational institution, receive tailored integration support that specifically guides them toward education. Conversely, some students may commence their studies before they have passed their integration examination and may have to combine their workload and priorities to complete their integration examination as well as keeping up with their studies. As many universities in the Netherlands offer courses in the English language, migrants may not be required have a certain level of Dutch to meet admission requirements. There is a relative “case-by-case” approach, depending on the age of the migrant, their residence permit status, the choice of study, the municipality in which they reside and family circumstances.  

For resettled refugee caseloads, prior to their arrival in the Netherlands the Dutch government will proactively determine an individual’s ambition/capacity to study in the Netherlands and will facilitate admission as soon as possible to the appropriate educational institution. Administrative steps such as qualification validation, access to student financing, admission procedures and bridging classes can take months to process; therefore the sooner arrangements are made, the easier it is for refugees to commence or resume education upon arrival.
Conversely, for asylum seekers over the age of 18, a residence permit is (almost always) required to formally enroll in education. Unlike resettlement caseloads which generally enjoy a quicker process, asylum seekers often have to wait months or years to secure their residence permit. They then must go through the administrative steps of learning Dutch, validating their foreign qualifications, completing bridging courses, meeting admissions criteria etc.
As a student, individuals with a residence permit are eligible to apply for student financing to cover education-related costs. Those who are eligible, may claim costs as a loan with a portion of the funds as a gift from the state.

Covid-19

The pandemic has illuminated stark gaps between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ in terms of education. Many migrant families on lower incomes simply did not have access to digital necessities (laptops, tablets, strong internet connections, headsets) to continue with learning from home. There were news articles of families with multiple children who were sharing one smartphone to complete their homework, in lieu of a computer at home. Similarly, those who lacked computer literacy, or even basic literacy, have struggled the most. Teachers have reported that more than 5.000 children have simply fallen off the radar due to a lack of virtual connections between teacher and students, many of them are children with migrant backgrounds and had pre-existing challenges to learning prior to the pandemic.

Financial pressure has been placed on educational institutions that target migrants, such as the Dutch ROCs (institutions for adult learning). According to reports, the retention of migrant students via distance learning is low as student drop-out levels climb. Assumptions can also be made about the pressure that the pandemic has placed generally on migrant incomes, social contacts, family relationships – and the result this may had had on an individual’s ability to focus and perform during virtual classes. Concerningly, the added stresses within the home and lack of daily structure can be attributed to an increase in rates of child abuse. 

The Dutch institution UAF has been providing support to migrant students and professionals in their studies and in finding suitable employment on the Dutch labour market since 1948. UAF is essentially a bridge between migrants and educational institutions and employers, and provides a very essential form of support to migrants who are pursuing higher education. The pandemic has led to backlogs for migrants who have applied for UAF’s support in 2020. Consequently, UAF has been required to cease accepting new applications from migrants who do not yet possess a residence permit.