Education

In the Netherlands, the government wants everyone to get an education and a diploma. Children through 16 and sometimes through 18 must go to school. In the Netherlands, we call this compulsory education. You can only perform many professions if you have a diploma.

Highlights

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Primary school and secondary school

In the Netherlands, children up to age 16 and sometimes up to 18 have compulsory education: they have no choice but to go to school. They only do not have to attend school if they are ill. They can also request time off from school for special occasions (like Eid-al-Fitr).

Studying

After you finish secondary school, you can start studying. You can study in the Netherlands at three different levels. On this page you can read more about those levels. You will also find information about how to pay for your studies.

Help with the Dutch language

You can practice Dutch in different ways. If you would like help learning the Dutch language, you can find more information on this page about how and where you can get help.