Netherlands
Sources: OECD (2020[1]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en; OECD (2020[2]), "Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en; OECD (2019[3]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en; OECD (2019[4]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en; OECD (2019[5]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en.
Selected education policies for the Netherlands
Measures to reduce early school leaving (2016, 2019)
►. Level of resilience: System
The Netherlands has taken several measures to tackle early school leaving since the launch of its Drive to Reduce Drop-out Rates in 2002, which drew on the education and training targets of the Europe 2020 Strategy. More recently, since 2016, the Netherlands has been strengthening its regional co-operation approach, in which schools and municipalities within 40 regions make joint agreements on measures to combat early school leaving over a four-year period. Within each region, a regional co-ordinator, a contact municipality and contact school are charged with facilitating collaboration between the different parties. Schools and municipalities also work with employers and partners in the health, youth and justice sectors to provide a comprehensive safety net for those at risk. An evaluation from 2018 found that strengthening the role of regional co-ordinators and contact municipalities has deepened collaboration between education institutions and, in some cases, with employers. At the same time, the report highlights a need to equip co-ordinators and contact municipalities with the time and skills they need to carry out new roles and tasks, and to give all parties the time and guidance they need to develop lasting collaborations (Van der Gaag et al., 2018[6]). A law from 2019 makes this collaboration between schools and municipalities with regard to reducing early school leaving mandatory and sets out the roles and responsibilities of different actors.
The Netherlands has achieved the EU benchmark target by reducing its share of early school leavers to below 10%. This share fell from 15.1% in 2001 to 7.1% in 2017, managing to stay at 7.0% in 2020 (European Commission, 2021[7]). The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has since undertaken research into the causes of drop-out. There has also been an increased focus on monitoring and combatting absenteeism, and increasing resources to support career guidance. During the period of school closures in 2020, schools worked with municipal youth services to organise home visits in order to maintain contact with students at risk, and to ensure their access to distance learning. These efforts may have contributed to a reduction in the number of early school leavers in 2019/20 (Van Engelshoven, 2021[8])
Further reading: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of Netherlands (n.d.[9]), Voortijdig schoolverlaten [Early School Leaving], https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/vsv (accessed on 27 July 2021).
National Education Programme (2021)
►. Level of resilience: Learner
The National Education Programme aims to restore learning lost in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic within 2.5 years while also addressing the impact of the pandemic on student well-being. Starting from the summer of 2021, schools develop a multi-year recovery plan choosing from a menu of interventions that have been shown to be effective in addressing learning gaps and increasing student well-being. Municipalities implement additional education programmes, guidance, and knowledge sharing activities to support schools, particularly those experiencing additional challenges. Schools can access the results of monitoring activities so they can adapt school-level measures accordingly. The government will also evaluate the impact of different interventions to share best practices and to strengthen the menu of options available. The current phase of the strategy is due to run until 2023.
Further reading: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of Netherlands (n.d.[10]), Nationaal Programma Onderwijs [National Education Programme], https://www.nponderwijs.nl/ (accessed on 26 July 2021).
References
European Commission (2021), Early leavers from education and training by sex, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/t2020_40/default/table?lang=en (accessed on 26 July 2021). [7]
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of Netherlands (n.d.), Nationaal Programma Onderwijs [National Education Programme], https://www.nponderwijs.nl/ (accessed on 26 July 2021). [10]
Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of Netherlands (n.d.), Voortijdig schoolverlaten [Early School Leaving], https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/vsv (accessed on 27 July 2021). [9]
OECD (2020), Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en. [2]
OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en. [1]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en. [4]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en. [5]
OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en. [3]
Van der Gaag, M. et al. (2018), Voortgangsonderzoek: aanpak van voortijdig schoolverlaten en jongeren in een kwetsbare (eindrapport) [Progress report: tackling early school leaving and supporting vulnerable young people (final report)], University of Groningen, https://research.rug.nl/en/publications/voortgangsonderzoek-aanpak-van-voortijdig-schoolverlaten-en-jonge. [6]
Van Engelshoven, I. (2021), Kamerbrief over voortgang aanpak voortijdig schoolverlaten [Letter to parliament on progress in tackling early school leaving], https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten/kamerstukken/2021/02/12/voortgang-aanpak-voortijdig-schoolverlaten (accessed on 27 July 2021). [8]